Gypsy Rose
by StephODell
Summary: The touching, heartwarming story of a girl who became an archer, then a dancer, and then a gypsy, all to marry the knight of her dreams and live Happily Ever After. Or not. BASED ON LOTUS RAGNAROK lRO
1. Chapter 1  One's Aim

**Gypsy Rose**

**A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell**

Chapter One – One's Aim 

A harsh wind blew over Midgard, carrying the scent of death and battle. Its source was a tower that seemed to touch the very sky itself.

Thanatos Tower.

At its peak—a party of adventurers, who had come to quell the flames of destruction before all was lost to them. They had fought up all twelve floors, battling all manor of evil, and arrived, tired and worn-down, to the top floor. There, waiting for them, was the one known to the people as Satan Morroc. The Bloody Demon himself.

Thanatos.

The fighting had ended quickly. Thanatos was far too powerful for them, and the adventurers had been laid flat on their back before they even knew what had hit them. Groans of pain and whimpers of agony came from every person.

Thanatos grinned maniacally, and advanced slowly on the fallen adventurers.

One adventurer was still awake. A gypsy, clothed in red and black sat on the ground, next to a Lord Knight, clutching her bleeding and broken arm, whimpering in pain. Her green eyes stared at Thanatos, filled with fear and dread. She knew full well she couldn't defeat him on her own. It was hopeless.

"_Have you anything to say before I extinguish your life_?" Thanatos asked the girl, his eyes gleaming evilly from under a fringe of black hair.

The gypsy trembled, and her entire life flashed before her eyes.

Payon Village was a quiet place. The land was covered in thick green forest, and babbling brooks ran lazily around the hillside on which the village stood. It was peaceful, and serene, a perfect place for children to grow.

Payon was famous for training the best archers in all of Midgard. Archers trained in this tiny village were renowned for having sharp eyes and deadly accuracy, and were admired and praised everywhere they went.

It was in this sleepy village a young girl named Steph lived with her younger sister, Umi. The two girls lived alone in a small house near the north end of the village that had once belonged to their mother, who had passed quite a number of years before.

The morning sun crept into the room that Steph lay sleeping in, and washed over her face. The warm light made her stir slightly, but she was too fast asleep to concern herself with it.

Umi poked her head into the room, and gave a sigh. She walked over to her older sister, and shook her frantically.

"_Onee-san_!!_ Onee-san_! Wake up, _Onee-san_, or you'll be late for your Archer Exam!"

Steph moaned a little, and Umi sighed. Her sister refused to wake up. She brushed some cyan hair out of her blue eyes, and decided to try another approach.

Walking out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, Umi filled a bucket with water from the water barrel outside the side door, and walked back into the bedroom.

Umi hesitated, her face one of worry as she positioned the bucket. "I'm sorry, _Onee-san_, but I have to do this."

And then she threw the water onto her sister.

Steph woke up with a scream and a start. She bolted upright in bed, and gave a whine of distress. "Wha-wha-what?! What happened?! UMI!!!"

Umi cringed a bit as Steph screamed at her. "I'm sorry, _Onee-san_. You wouldn't wake up…"

Steph growled angrily at her sister.

Steph, unlike Umi, had wine-red hair, and brilliant forest-green eyes. The two sisters looked nothing alike, in fact, but had never thought that they may not be sisters by blood.

The two girls loved each other very much, and no one in the village saw them very far apart from one another. They often stopped to talk to the two girls, and check in on them from time to time.

Steph was a wild girl, who loved to roam the forest, and play with the younger children of the village, who looked up to her like a chief. She loved nothing better than exploring a new place and seeking something exciting, and hated being bored.

Umi, on the other hand, was quiet and shy. She often stuttered when she talked, unless she knew the person and felt comfortable with them. She blushed almost all the time, and tended to stand with her feet over one another. She was clumsy, and often hurt herself, but was an excellent cook, and loved to clean. She often stayed at home to look after things while her big sister ran off to play.

Steph had turned 19 recently, and as such, was declared the age when she could take the archery test. Steph had admitted to Umi she didn't really want to be an archer, but the fame Payon archers received was too much to pass up.

Steph brushed her hair after she'd dried it off somewhat, and tied it into twin ponytails that fell over her shoulders. She slipped a couple of large beads onto them to hold them in place. She touched them, remembering her mother had made them for her as a little girl from the glass beads she's found on one of her many excursions.

"Are you ready, _Onee-san_?" Umi asked, peeking shyly into the room. She was still scared after her sister had yelled at her.

Steph sighed, and stood up. She smiled at Umi. "I'm ready, Umi-_chan_. Let's go."

Umi smiled with relief, and Steph walked into the sitting room to pull on her shoes. Umi did the same, and the two left the house. But Umi paused, and seemed to remember something.

"Oh dear! I forgot lunch!"

She ran back inside while Steph smiled to herself, bemused. Her sister was forgetful, but a sweet girl.

Umi came back out, carrying a basket. Steph caught the scent of warm meat and fresh fruit.

"Smells yummy," she said.

"You'll have to wait until lunch," Umi reprimanded her sister gently. "I tried to wake you in time for breakfast, but you chose to sleep in instead."

"Aww," Steph groaned. "No fair…" Her stomach whined. "How am I supposed to do my best on an empty stomach?"

Umi smiled at her sister, and Steph couldn't help but smile back.

"Look, _Onee-san_, Payon Cave."

Steph looked where Umi pointed, and saw the mouth of Payon Cave looming off to their left. She smiled faintly to herself.

Steph loved Payon Cave. She played there all the time, especially near the back, where all the foxes lived.

The foxes were like her family. They never hurt her, and she loved them like brothers and sisters. They played for hours on end, chasing each other, and play fighting with each other. She'd even taught them to be kind to Umi, who was afraid of the zombies and skeletons in the cave, and spooked easily.

Many people, both in the village and from far away, felt that everything in the cave was a menace and needed to be dealt with. Steph got angry with these people, insisting that the foxes wouldn't harm anyone.

"They're just scared!" she said. "You would be too if someone came up to you with a sword and waved it in your face!"

The people in the village accepted Steph's adamant claims that the foxes were harmless, and stayed out of the cave. But people still came from all over Midgar to kill the 'monsters' that resided in the cave.

Steph sighed. Umi looked at her sister.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just remembering why I wanted to be an archer," she said quietly. "Not just for the fame, or the adulation…but so I can protect the foxes from poachers."

Umi smiled. "You really love them, don't you?"

Steph nodded, and then turned away. "Well, let's get going."

They walked past the venders selling things at the turn up towards the Archer Guild, and waved. The milk vender waved them both over.

"Heard you're taking the archer test today, Steph," the lady said with a grin.

"Yeup," Steph replied proudly.

"Well, good for you!" the milk lady said. "Well, here you two go. My treat." She handed them both a bottle of milk.

Steph greedily gulped the milk down, and gave a satisfied "Ahh!" afterwards. Then she belched, and said "Thank you" to the milk lady. Umi quietly thanked the lady, and drank her milk slowly.

"Milk's good for ya!" Steph said. "Makes you big and strong! And it's tasty!"

"Right you are!" the milk lady agreed.

Umi finally finished her milk, and the two waved goodbye as they walked onward towards the archer guild.

"Well, everything seems to be in order," the lady at the archer guild said, examining Steph's forms. "And you brought the wood yesterday, am I correct?"

The first test an archer faced was collecting wood to be fashioned into a weapon. Steph had gone a little overboard, and killed close to fifty Willows, dragging all the wood back with a huge grin on her face. She had a passion for killing things, and got a little battle-crazed sometimes.

"I sure did," Steph replied, sheepishly.

"Then that means you can receive your bow and go right into the test," the lady informed her. Steph smiled, relieved, and walked over to the room the lady had pointed to. A cute man stood by the door, and handed Steph a bow.

"You brought me lots of good-quality wood to work with," he said with a smile. "This bow is a work of art."

Steph flushed, and purred a little, rubbing her cheek against the bow with a happy sigh. "It's so pretty…thank you so much."

She then received a quiver of regular arrows from the man, and walked into the test room.

The Woman who conducted the test was a pleasant woman, who looked to be around forty. She had a shock of dishwater blond hair pulled back from her face in a low ponytail, and sparkling grey eyes. She seemed to always be smiling.

"My name is Abigail," the woman said, offering her hand to Steph. "I'll be your tester today."

"Hello, ma'am," Steph greeted her formally, taking her hand. "I'm Steph."

"Good to meet you," Abigail said warmly, shaking Steph's hand firmly. "Let's see what you can do."

Steph was asked to string her bow, which she did without problems. Then she strung an arrow, and cocked it into position.

"The next step," Abigail said, "Is to shoot the targets at the other end of the room."

Steph swallowed nervously. This was where things got complicated for her.

She's never used a bow before.

"Do I have to hit the centre?" Steph asked in a small voice.

"No," Abigail laughed good-naturedly. "You just have to hit the target, that's all."

She tried to aim at the target, her arm and hands visibly shaking. She focused on the target, closing one eye without thinking.

_Both eyes open_, she remembered, recalling something a friend had once told her. She opened her closed eye, and took a better aim.

Ten minutes passed as Steph aimed and re-aimed, until finally, when the tension was thick enough to be seen, Steph finally released the arrow.

It hit the target, but only on the lower edge. It didn't even hit the rings.

Steph let out her breath all at once, not realizing she'd been holding it. Abigail smiled wider.

"Well, you hit it. So it counts."

"Yay!" Steph squealed, and jumped up and down excitedly. Umi looked relieved as well, and sighed, putting a hand to her chest.

"However," Abigail said, breaking the happy rejoicing. "You'll have to hit it again, just to be sure."

Steph groaned. She'd been lucky to hit it the first time.

Another painstaking ten minutes, and Steph finally took her second shot. It hit the other side of the target this time, a little higher than the first one, but still not on the rings.

Steph was less-than-impressed at her lack of aim, but Abigail smiled.

"Well, you passed that part. Good job."

Steph fell over. "What do you mean, _that part_? There's _more_?!"

Abigail nodded, and Steph groaned deeply.

"The next part of the test are moving targets," Abigail explained. "You'll have to hit them in order to pass.

"Wait…moving targets?" Umi asked, looking uneasy. "You don't mean actual monsters, do you?"

"Of course not," Abigail said. "That's dangerous. No, we have a much safer system."

Abigail called out to the man outside the door, and a moment later, a partition in the wall opened up, and a set of targets on a moving belt-and-pulley system were revealed. The man from earlier was turning a crank, making the belt move, along with the targets attached to it.

Steph felt her stomach drop out the bottom of her body. She knew she'd never be able to hit those targets. Not in a million years.

"It's like a shooting gallery," Steph said flatly. Umi knew her big sister was trying to make a joke to ease her nervousness, but Steph had come across as unimpressed. Umi felt a sweat drop of embarrassment run down her face.

"Well, let's see what you can do," Abigail said good-naturedly. Steph tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Steph tried to aim at the targets, but because they were constantly moving, it was hard to get a bead on them. She finally got frustrated, and took a wild shot.

There was a 'Twaing!' as the bowstring snapped the arrow off, and then a yelp of pain as the arrow hit the assistant. Steph looked terrified.

"I wasn't trying to hit him! I'm so sorry!" She bit her knuckle, tears gathering in her eyes as she apologized, over and over again to the poor man. Umi buried her face in her hands and sighed.

The man seemed good-natured about it, but Steph felt terrible. Abigail pulled Steph off to the side.

"Dear, have you ever used a bow before today?" she asked.

Steph sniffled, and shook her head. "No…"

Abigail was still smiling, but she definitely looked shocked. "Well, you did remarkably well for someone who's never used a bow before."

Steph sniffed her tears away. "Really?"

Abigail smiled, and nodded. "Of course. You'll only get better with practice."

Steph sighed. "So, I failed then…" She sighed, and slumped off, ready to leave. Umi patted her sister comfortingly.

"Wait…you forgot something."

Steph turned around to look at Abigail, who handed Steph a bundle of clothes.

Steph blinked. The bundle of clothes was a blue archer's uniform. She felt tears pricking her eyes again.

"I…I don't understand…why…?"

Abigail smiled. "You have the makings to be an excellent archer. Go forth, and become stronger. The Archer's Guild officially welcomes you."

Umi squealed happily, and threw her arms around her bewildered and dumbstruck sister. "You mean…I passed after all…?" Steph muttered, dazed. "Even after I accidentally shot the cute assistant?"

"Where will you go first, _Onee-san_?" Umi asked.

Steph was packing her bag with things she'd need on her journey. She smiled at her sister, and shrugged. "Dunno. What's the closest town, I wonder?"

Umi thought for a second. "I think its Izlude."

Steph smirked. "Alright then. Izlude it is! Tomorrow is the start of a new adventure!"

"Yes," Umi said happily. "And I was going to make that stew you like so much tonight for dinner!"

"Whoohoo!" Steph hooted happily, pumping her arms.

"I could use a hand with it," Umi continued. "I need some water and potatoes…do you think you could get those for—hey!!" Umi turned around, and realized her sister was gone. She sighed, and smiled.

"I think I know where she went…"

Payon Cave was a dark, deep cave that reeked with the scent of death. Zombies, skeletons, and many other nasty, undead creatures roamed it freely. Most people didn't enter the cave.

Steph, however, was not most people. She enjoyed Payon Cave, and walked through the dark, twisting passages with little difficulty.

The monsters, for the most part, ignored her. As she walked along, a zombie popped out of nowhere, breathing noxious breath into her face and moaning in a horrible voice.

Steph grinned, and yelled, "Boo!" at it. The zombie wailed, and shuffled away as quickly as it could. Steph laughed.

"You zombies are a riot!" Steph giggled as she walked along.

Farther in, a group of Bongun and Munak were clustered together, peering at shiny objects they had found in the cave. They shyly glanced at Steph as she approached them.

"Hi Bongun! Hi Munak! How are you all today?" Steph asked the cadavers good-naturedly.

The corpse puppets blushed a little, and shyly showed her their treasures. Steph poked them and giggled.

"Ooh! Shiny!" She smiled. "Those are very nice! You'd better hang onto them, okay? Don't lose them now!"

The cadavers nodded their head, talismans flapping furiously. As Steph prepared to leave, she spotted her favourite Bongun out of the corner of her eye.

He was different from the others, and clothed in black instead of blue. His talisman was hanging off to the side of his face instead of over his nose like the others. His long black hair hung down in his face, and the hair down his back was bound tightly with a white cloth to his ankles. He stared at her with cat-like gold eyes from behind the rock he was hiding behind.

"There you are!" Steph cried out cheerfully. "Come here, I won't hurt you! Let's be friends!"

But the Bongun turned his nose up, and sniffed. Steph felt hurt at his behaviour.

"Oh, come on! Let's be friends, pleeeeeaaaasssseeeee?!" Steph whined loudly, in an annoying voice. She looked at him with big, cute eyes.

The Bongun turned, and bounced off quickly into the depths of the cave, leaving Steph alone with the other Bongun and Munak.

Steph sighed. "I'll be friends with him someday. Just you wait, Mr. Black Bongun!"

She said goodbye to the cadavers, and ran off farther into the cave.

The cave became wider at this point, and the ruins of buildings and temples could be seen. Sohee floated here and there, wailing miserably as they wandered about.

"Hello Sohee! You all look so pretty today!" Steph called out cheerfully as she ran by, waving.

The undead maidens blushed a little, waving back. Some stopped wailing for a while, as if cheered up by the comment.

Dokebi ran here and there, making little grunting noises and chasing down small rodents for food. Steph giggled as she watched them, and then carried on.

Finally, she spotted what she was looking for: a white fox with nine beautiful tails was darting around amongst the debris. It stopped when it saw her, making a happy yowling call, and ran up to her.

"Hello!" Steph called out cheerfully. "How are you? Are you well? You look great!" She petted the fox, smiling.

Other Nine Tail poured out from the ruins, all crowding around Steph, yowling happily and licking her face. She laughed and giggled happily, petting whomever she could.

"One at a time! One at a time! Hey! Teehee!"

The foxes backed off a tiny bit, allowing Steph to sit up. Tails wagged as all the foxes seemed happy to see their friend. Some sniffed her clothes and new bow cautiously.

"It's new," Steph told them. "I just became an archer today. It means I'll be going far away to become a good archer, so I can come back and defend you guys against poachers." She smiled sadly. "So I came to say goodbye before I left. I'm gonna miss you guys."

Some of the foxes made sad yowls, and others licked her face again. She smiled more, and hugged a few of the closer foxes.

"Don't be sad. I'll come back and visit whenever I can. I promise."

"You ran off to Payon Cave again, didn't you?" Umi asked Steph as she came in the door.

Steph looked sheepish. "I had some friends to say goodbye to."

Umi sighed. "What am I going to do about the—"

"Potatoes?" Steph finished Umi's sentence as she dropped a bunch of potatoes on the table. "Stopped by to see the Smokies before I came back."

Umi smiled at her sister. Steph was strange, but not mean. Umi couldn't be mad at her now.

"Let me know when it's ready," Steph said as she walked to her room. "I want to finish packing."

Umi smiled, and sighed. Steph was the same as always.

"Make sure you eat regularly," Umi sad to Steph the next morning. "And to stay clean, and to change your underwear every day and—"

"Okay Umi! Sheesh!" Steph laughed. "I'm a big girl, you know. I'm going to be fine. Just wait. I'm going to be famous someday."

Umi smiled at her sister. "I know you will. I'm…going to miss you…" She turned her head to try and keep Steph from seeing her tears.

Steph hugged her sister. "I'll write every day. Promise."

"Not every day," Umi said sensibly. "Maybe once a week. Or once every two weeks."

"Okay, once a week then. But I will write."

"I look forward to it," Umi said happily.

Steph grinned.

"I packed some food for you," Umi went on. "Make sure to ration it. It's mostly dried food, so it'll preserve well. And keep hydrated."

"Will do," Steph said in a perky voice.

"One last thing…"

"Yeeeeeees?"

"Here." Umi gave her sister a quiver. Inside were silver arrows.

Steph blinked. "Umi-_chan_, these are…"

"Silver arrows." Umi said.

"But…they're so expensive!" Steph balked.

"I know…I saved up for weeks." Umi smiled. "I did odd jobs here and there while you were off playing."

Steph made an annoyed face. "Is there a moral here somewhere…something about an ant and a grasshopper?"

Umi giggled. "It's a present…to help keep you safe."

Steph smiled, and hugged her sister. "I love you, Umi-_chan_."

"I love you too, _Onee-san_."

The two looked into each other's eyes for a while, before Steph finally walked down the dirt path towards the village's west exit.

Umi waved as her sister disappeared from sight and sighed. "Maybe I should have told her that Izlude is North, and not East…"

Steph wandered about in Payon forest hours later, her stomach grumbling angrily at her. "Aww, bugger. I'm lost already….sheesh." She looked around her and sighed.

"ANYBODY HERE?!"

Not far from where Steph was, a knight was trying to escape an Elder Willow, without success. He looked back as his black Peco Peco carried him along, and grumbled.

"Oh, give up already!"

The Elder Willow didn't seem to be getting the hint, so the knight finally yanked the reigns of his steed, and whirled to face the tree.

"Fine then…let's see how you like being in pieces!"

He charged the Elder Willow, and with a swift bash with his sword, the tree fell apart, and lay scattered about on the ground.

The knight dismounted, and began salvaging what he could from the remains. "Let's see, fire scroll…that's handy…some trunks for firewood…a dead branch…very nice." He slipped the dead branch away carefully in his pack, and stood up.

"Not bad for a tree. Heh."

Steph was chasing her own Elder Willow some 50 meters away. She lined up her bow, and gave an evil chuckle.

"Keh keh keh…time to die, Mr. Willow…"

She let the arrow fly, but it missed its mark by a country mile, and disappeared into a bush. Steph blinked confused.

Suddenly, a loud yelp of pain rang out, and Steph stiffened. It was definitely a human yell.

"Uh oh…not again!"

The knight wrenched the arrow out from the crack in his armour, muttering angrily. "Haven't been in that much pain since that run-in with a Kobold archer…" He rubbed where the arrow had tagged him, muttering to himself. "Someone's a very good shot."

He looked around, listening. As far as he knew, nothing in Payon Forest shot arrows…except archers. He sighed.

"Come on out…I'm not mad…please, I just want to talk."

He heard a rustling near him, and looked around. A muffled voice came from inside a bush near him.

"Promise you're not mad?"

The knight crouched down. "Promise." He smiled kindly. "Now please come out so we can talk, okay?"

Steph crawled out from the bush, and the knight drew his breath in sharply. She was a very cute little archer, he couldn't deny that. She looked up at him with her big green eyes and sniffled.

"I didn't mean to shoot you," she said to him. "It was an accident. I was aiming for that Elder Willow."

The knight felt his toughness crumble. She was just too cute. He wanted to cuddle her, like some adorable kitten.

"I-it's fine, r-really." He felt his face flush, and turned away. His visor was down, so Steph couldn't get a good look at him.

"You're a knight, right?" Steph asked him. "What are you doing here?"

"Uhh, well, you see—" the knight began, but a howl cut him off. He whipped his head around, and gripped his sword tightly.

"What was that?" he asked tersely.

Steph looked worried. "I think it was Vagabond Wolf."

The knight looked at her. "Vagabond Wolf? That doesn't sound good…"

"It's the pack leader," Steph continued. "All the other wolves are docile, and don't attack people. But that one does, and frequently too. He's quite nasty."

The knight drew his sword, and pushed Steph behind him. "More than likely it'll attack us, so stay behind me and back me up."

Steph trembled. "Wait…but…that's a…I can't…I'm not…"

The knight didn't seem to hear Steph, and tightened his grip on his sword. "Here it comes."

The Vagabond Wolf came into view, surrounded on all sides by smaller wolves, all snarling and snapping their jaws. Steph gave a yipe of fear, and huddled behind the knight. He tensed, and raised his sword into an attack position.

The wolf glared at the knight with fierce yellow eyes, and snarled ferociously. The knight gritted his teeth. "Here goes…"

He lunged forward, and disappeared from view for a moment, and then re-appeared in front of the wolf. He brought his sword down on the wolf with a vicious blow.

"Take this…CHARGE!" The Knight swung the sword down at the wolf, but Vagabond sidestepped the blow.

"Crap," the knight hissed, and gave a cry. "MAGNUM BREAK!"

A flash and blast of energy pushed everything back. The blow killed most of the wolf lackeys, however the Vagabond Wolf was singed, but stilled standing. It growled angrily at the knight, and lunged. Snapping its jaws shut around the knight's arm, it shook its head violently, trying to tear the armour off. The knight bashed the wolf repeatedly, trying to knock it off.

"Take the shot! Hurry!" the knight yelled at Steph impatiently. "I can't hold it off forever!"

Steph's arm shook furiously as she lined up a shot. She was terrified, and it wasn't helping her aim at all. Finally, she released the arrow with a high-pitched squeak, and it sailed towards the wolf…

…And bounced off the knight's helm, before nailing the wolf square between the eyes. It gave a howling cry as it died, and the knight shook it off his arm. He sighed.

Steph sank to her knees, and let out her breath all at once. She was shaking quite badly, but not hurt.

The knight removed his helmet, and checked it. "Well, it isn't broken," he said gruffly. "But your shot was lousy."

Tears gathered in Steph's eyes. "Give me a break! I just became an archer yesterday!"

The knight growled at her as he put his helmet back on. "Well, why didn't you say so to begin with?!"

Steph sobbed. "I-I-I tr-tried to! B-but you wou-wouldn't listen!!!"

The knight's voice suddenly got softer, and knelt down beside her, and hugged her. "I'm sorry…please don't cry…shh…" He awkwardly tried to comfort her.

Steph wiped at her eyes. "It's okay…I don't need pity…really…"

The knight hugged her a little tighter. "I don't mind…really."

Steph dropped the fire scroll onto the pile of wood and muttered, "Fire". The pile burst into flames, and she sat down again, sighing. She set the meat they'd gotten from the wolves onto the fire to cook.

The knight was busy rummaging through the things he'd gotten from the day's battles. Every now and then he'd comment to himself about something.

"Hmm, Angelic Cardigan…know someone who could use this…"

Steph tried not to be interested, but it was a nice item, and couldn't help admiring it. She looked away when the knight glanced over at her.

"Believe me…you can't use this."

"I don't want it."

"Liar," the knight chuckled. "I saw you looking at it."

"Was not!" Steph retorted, getting red-faced.

The knight chuckled, and handed her a shining yellow gemstone. "Here. Take it. I don't need it."

Steph looked at the Topaz, and blushed. "Uhh…thanks…" She took it from the knight, embarrassed.

"You're welcome," he said, smiling to himself. "It's your share of the prize, for helping me defeat Vagabond Wolf."

Steph sat quietly for a bit, fidgeting furiously. "Umm…Mr. Knight sir?"

The knight laughed. "Yes?"

Steph bit her lip. "Do you…do you think I'll be a good archer some day?"

The knight looked off into the distance, his eyes cloudy. He smiled softly, deep in thought. Finally, he turned back to Steph.

"Of course you will. You'll be the best archer who ever lived. Promise."

Steph grinned happily, and the knight smiled back.

After splitting the meat, the knight told Steph he'd take the first watch. He promised to wake her so she could take over second watch.

Steph drifted off quietly to sleep, feeling safe with her new friend.

_What a nice guy…_ she thought.

Steph woke up to the bright light of day streaming through the trees. Bolting upright, she started panicking.

"Ahh! He never woke me to take over his shift! I bet he's exhausted! Mr. Knight! Mr. Knight!"

She looked around, but neither the knight in black, nor his black Peco Peco could be seen. Her face became confused.

She stood up, and looked around, hoping to spot him just out of sight. However, she came across a hand-written note lying beside her stuff on the logs they had used as benches the night before. She picked it up and read it.

_Miss Archer;_

_Thank you for your assistance yesterday. I apologize for putting you in danger like that, but I applaud your bravery. You have the ability to become a first-class archer someday._

_When you do, look me up again, and I will be honoured to accompany you on your many journeys._

_Yours Truly_

The signature had become wet, and blurred, as it had come into contact with morning dew, and was now unreadable. Steph panicked.

"Wait! No! Not fair!! What's his name?! WHAT'S HIS NAME?!"

Steph managed to find the edge of the forest a few days later, and rejoiced. It was short-lived, however, when she saw what lay ahead of her.

Sand. White sand. As far as the eye could see.

The Sogart Desert.

Steph groaned deeply. This just hadn't been her week.

NEXT CHAPTER:

The Orange Juice caper, a new friend, a run-in with a shady group, and feathers. Lots and lots of feathers.

All in "_Apple Juice Quenches the Pallet, but Orange Juice Just Has That Zing_."


	2. Chapter 2 Apple Juice Quenches

**Gypsy Rose**

**A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell**

Author's Notes: I would like to amend an error from the previous chapter. Thanatos and Satan Morroc are two separate baddies. Thanatos resides at the top of Thanatos Tower, and Satan Morroc resides under Thanatos Tower. Once again, I apologize. Thank you James, O Benevolant Administrator of lRO for setting me straight. xD

Chapter Two – 

**Apple Juice Quenches the Pallet, but Orange Juice Just Has That Zing**

Steph leaned heavily on the branch she was using as a walking stick, and moaned, wiping the sweat from her brow. "It's so hot…" She looked around, trying to find relief, but saw nothing in sight. Nothing but white sand as far as she could see.

Steph gave an unhappy grumble, and continued on her way. "Somehow, I doubt Umi knew about this desert…she would have warned me otherwise."

Movement caught Steph's eye, and she spotted a Drop bouncing merrily across the sands.

Drops were a class of Poring, a gelatinous monster that reminded people of balls of jelly. They ate anything and everything. Drops in particular were an orange colour, and had a fondness for heat. They also tasted like orange juice, apparently.

Steph wasn't generally the type of girl who'd kill an innocent Poring just so she could eat something, but she was in one of her battle-crazed moods. She drew her dagger, with an evil gleam in her eyes.

"Here little Drop…let's be friends, shall we?"

—

Steph picked over the remains of the Drop. "Let's see…an apple…eww! What is that?! Snot?! It's all sticky and stuff! Gross!" She wiped her hand on her tunic with a disgusted face. "Good thing those things eat stuff whole…I don't think I'd eat a half-digested apple…" Her eyes fell on a round container, and she gasped.

There, almost untouched by the sticky mucus of the Drop, was a full container of orange juice. Steph gave a low, almost sinister laugh.

"SALVATION!!" she cried, snatching the juice up with a crazed laugh.

Casting her gaze around, Steph spotted what looked to be a clump of trees. She dashed towards them, and cheered when she saw there was a sizable clump of shade under them. Plopping down heavily in the shady spot, Steph sighed happily, and polished her apple.

"Apple first…" she murmured happily. "Save the best for last."

The apple was perfect; crisp, juicy, and crunchy. She savoured every last bite, and sighed happily when it was done.

"And now…for the moment of truth…" Steph lifted the container of orange juice to her lips, and prepared to drink it.

"OH BOY, ORANGE JUICE!"

Steph was knocked over as a warm, soft mass of something slammed into her. She screamed, and landed hard in the sand. Looking up, she saw a Drop monster drinking her container of orange juice in loud, greedy gulps. It gave a rude, "AHH!" as it finished, and then tossed the container away. "Boy, that sure was great."

Steph seethed with anger. "HEY! THAT WAS _MY_ ORANGE JUICE! YOU LITTLE THIEF!" She grabbed the Drop, and hooked her thumbs into the corners of its mouth and yanked. The Drop stretched like taffy, and it squirmed and yelled in pain.

"Hey! Ow ow ow! Lady! Cut it out! HEY!"

"You stole my orange juice, you thieving little Drop you!" Steph growled fiercely. "It was my only one, and I was really looking forward to drinking it!"

The Drop blinked at her. "But…Orange Juice isn't for humans to drink…"

Steph didn't hear the Drops' comment. "I haven't had a decent glass of orange juice since I was a little girl! And you ruined it!" Steph burst into tears, and sobbed into her hands.

The Drop looked really ashamed. "I'm real sorry, Lady! I thought you were trying to be friends with me! That's what you're supposed to do with orange juice, don't 'cha know?"

Steph peeked out at the Drop between two of her fingers, her tears disappearing instantly, as if by magic. "Say what now?"

"Yeah," the Drop continued. "See, if you find a container of Orange Juice, you offer it to a Drop as a sign of friendship. Then the Drop becomes your loyal companion, following you everywhere as—"

"_That's the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard_," Steph informed the Drop in a deadpan voice.

"But it's true!" the Drop insisted.

"Wait…how is it you can talk anyway?" Steph asked darkly, poking the orange ball of jelly cautiously with an index finger.

"Magic?" the Drop replied, seeming to be fishing for the right answer.

Steph stared at the Drop. He didn't look like a normal Drop; the more she looked at him, the stranger looking he was.

"You have piercings!" Steph exclaimed, pointing to the Drops' eyebrow ring and lip ring.

"Uhh…" The Drop seemed to be out of retorts.

"And are those sunglasses?" Steph pressed on, trying to take the shades from the Drop. "They are too! Romani Shades! Those are expensive!"

"Those are mine!" the Drop replied hotly. "Stop trying to steal them!"

You must have been someone's pet," Steph snapped. "So what happened? Did you run away? Or were you abandoned?" Steph glared down at the Drop.

"Honest…I have never been someone's pet," the Drop insisted. "Anyway, my name is Trent."

Steph glared harder at Trent. "Why do you have a name, then, if you weren't someone's pet?"

"I can't answer that," Trent said flatly.

Steph looked at Trent, and made an annoyed noise under her breath.

Trent's eyes got wet and shiny, and he gave Steph his best cute expression. "Pwease, oh pwease be my Master?"

Steph crumbled, and picked up Trent, cooing. "Aww, okay…you're just too cute. I guess I can give you a try—eh?"

Trent had snuggled into Steph's bosom, purring a little as he rubbed himself against her breasts. "Oh wow, you're real soft! Mmm! Oh yeah!"

A stress vein snapped in Steph's face, and she dropkicked Trent across the sands towards the horizon. "I TAKE IT BACK, YOU LITTLE PERVERT! GET LOST AND DON'T COME BACK!!"

"Waaaaaaiiiiiiittttttttttt!" Trent cried as he was sent flying over the desert sands into the distance.

"Good grief," Steph muttered angrily under her breath.

—

Steph fell to her knees, and moaned unhappily. She had left the shade, in case Trent decided to come back, and had set off again in search of a village.

However, she was totally exhausted, and thirsty. She felt like she wouldn't be able to go much farther.

Looking around her, Steph noticed movement again, and tensed. This was definitely not Trent this time.

A tan colour wolf suddenly appeared over a nearby sand dune, and Steph trembled with fear. The wolf snarled at her, it's yellow eyes glaring at her with a hungry glare.

"Why can't I ever meet a friendly wolf?" Steph whimpered to herself.

The wolf lunged at Steph, and she screamed and ran off as fast as she could. She knew she could never outrun the agile desert wolf, but she didn't dare stop.

Before long, however, Steph felt her energy leave her, and she collapsed to her hands and knees, utterly exhausted.

She could hear the wolf closing in on her, and turned her head to look at the wolf fearfully.

"BANZAI!" a voice yelled, and an orange blur slammed into the desert wolf, sending it flying. It gave a whimpering cry as it slammed into the sand with a loud 'thump!' and rolled several feet.

Steph looked over at Trent with shock. The Drop was wriggling about, trying desperately to unbury itself from the sand where it had landed, giving muffled cries of complaint.

Steph crawled over to Trent, and yanked him out of the sand. The Drop spat sand out, and took a gasping breath. "Thanks, babe! I owe you!"

"I…have a name…" Steph retorted weakly. "It's…Steph…"

"Cute name," Trent said, and then looked concerned. "Hey! You don't look well! Are you sick? Hey don't move, all right? Just…STEPH!!"

Steph fell over, and passed out from the heat. The last thing she heard were Trent's frantic cries.

"Hey! Wake up! You can't take a nap here! Steph! STEPH!!"

—

"_C'mon, you fool, get up! You can't sleep here! Get up!"_

_Steph opened her eyes to see a young man, probably no older than her, leaning over her with a concerned face. His amethyst eyes were fixed on her face, full of worry._

"_Are you okay? You weren't looking so good there for a bit…"_

_Steph blinked in shock. "Who…who are you? Have we…have we met before…?"_

_The man laughed lightly, and smiled at her. His amethyst eyes twinkled over his sunglasses, and he brushed some white-tipped black hair out of his face._

"_It's not important…I'm just glad you're all right. I was worried."_

_Steph stared. He seemed so familiar, and yet…_

"_C'mon, sleepy-head. Get up."_

"I said get up, Steph. You can't sleep all day."

Steph bolted awake, and realized Trent was sitting on her stomach, yelling at her to wake up. She sat up quickly, knocking him off, and causing him to fall on the floor.

"Ow! Ow! Hey!" Trent yelled as he bounced across the floor like a basketball.

Steph clutched her head, and groaned. She felt woozy, and almost fell over.

"Careful," a voice spoke up. "You're still weak from the heatstroke."

Steph looked up, and saw the owner of the voice standing by the door to the room. The person was a man, probably around mid-twenties, with long, platinum blond hair, and long bangs that hid a lot of his face. He was dressed in a black and silver Assassin Cross uniform. His arms were crossed over his crest, one foot braced up against the wall, and his scarf covered his nose. He had an air of mystery to him, but for some reason, Steph wasn't afraid of him.

"Oh…did you save me? Thank you…" Steph bit her lip, blushing. "I…I really have nothing to give you as payment…"

"I don't need payment," the man replied quietly, opening one green-blue eye to look at her. Steph gulped. It was such a startlingly bright colour, almost like it glowed.

Trent bounced back over to Steph. "You slept for a whole day," he told her. "I thought you'd sleep for a week! By the way, did you know you snore?"

Steph brought her foot down on Trent, stopping short of squishing him into paste, but causing him enough pain to shut up.

"Monsters should be seen and not heard," the assassin said quietly.

"I agree," Steph muttered angrily.

Trent managed to free himself from under Steph's foot. "That's no way to treat someone who saved your life!"

Steph stared at Trent. "You did not, you liar!"

"I did too!" Trent responded hotly. "I remember how it happened too!"

_Trent faced the tan desert wolf, and glared at it fiercely. "You'd better back off, or I'll be forced to thrash you!"_

_The wolf snarled, and snapped its jaws. It lunged at Trent, ready to crush him into pieces, but Trent was too quick for it. He rolled off to the side, and then slammed into the wolf, sending it flying again. Recovering quickly, Trent prepared to slam into the wolf again. "TAKE THIS!" he cried "NEIKE FUIKE KORORO SQUISH! With a tremendous burst of power, Trent—"_

( Quite literally translates to 'Impeccable Power Squish' )

Trent stopped dead as a katar buried itself into the wooden floorboard in front of him, missing him by mere inches. Steph looked up to see the assassin had thrown it.

"I can't stand liars," he said dryly.

Trent trembled. "Okay, okay, so it didn't happen like that."

Steph looked a little shook up as well, and panted fearfully, recovering her breath. "You'd better tell it how it really happened this time, Trent. Before you get the nice assassin man angry."

"Okay…right…" Trent swallowed before resuming.

_Trent stared at the wolf fearfully. "Hey, c'mon, we're all friends here! You don't wanna eat me! I taste terrible!" _

_The wolf simply snarled._

"_Eat her! She's much tastier!" Trent yelped, terrified._

_The wolf advance a step towards Trent, and he shivered, terrified._

"_Pathetic. A pet should protect its master," a voice said. Trent looked around, confused._

"_Huh? Who's there? Who said that?" Trent looked around, slightly fearful._

_The wolf, too, stopped, as if confused where the voice was coming from._

_Suddenly, it was as if the very sky itself pulled away, and an Assassin Cross appeared, seemingly from nowhere. It grabbed the wolf by the scruff of the neck, and threw it across the sand like a sack of potatoes._

_The wolf whimpered as it hit the sand hard, and rolled a few times. It managed to get back on its feet, however, and charged the assassin, snarling._

_The assassin gave a 'hmph' or disinterest, and yanked a small capsule out from his clothes and threw it at the feet of the wolf. It burst open, releasing a thick, choking cloud of purple gas. The wolf became disorientated, and tried to get its bearings back._

_However, the assassin appeared in front of it, again as if from nowhere, and gave a battle cry._

"_Eat this…SONIC BLOW!"_

_The assassin slammed his katars into the wolf's side again and again, at lightning speed, six or seven times. The wolf collapsed, dead as the attack ended._

_Trent was still shaking visibly as the assassin approached. He looked up at the man nervously._

"_Uhh, t-thanks, I guess…"_

"_She's suffering from heat stroke, am I right?" the assassin asked quietly after a moment._

_Trent nodded, a movement requiring the use of his whole body. "Uh huh…"_

_The assassin picked Steph up gently, and carried her back across the sands the way he had obviously came, Trent realized there were footprints leading in that direction, most likely left by the assassin while he was cloaked._

"_H-hey! Wait for me!" Trent yelled as he bounced off after the assassin._

"And that's the truth," Trent finished.

"That's better," Steph replied, sounding a lot more satisfied. "I knew you were a useless ball of jelly."

"Hey, cut me some slack! I don't even have arms or legs!" Trent whined back. "I bet I could do a fancy attack too if I did!"

"Liar!" Steph shot back. "I bet you couldn't!"

Trent stuck out his tongue, and Steph noticed it had a small piercing in it. She winced.

_Is there any part of this thing that __**isn't**__ pierced?!_

"Anyway…" Steph said finally. "I don't even know your name. My name is Steph, and you are…?"

"Seph," the assassin said after a long pause. "Most people call me Seph."

Trent twitched, but went unnoticed. He stared at Seph fearfully, as if he suddenly realized something.

"Seph…that's a nice name…what's it short for?" Steph asked curiously, trying to be polite.

Seph paused again. "It isn't."

"Oh…" Steph replied, a little disappointed.

The door opened just then, and a young boy in tan garments came into the room. He had rather dark skin, and Steph assumed he most likely lived in the desert. He smiled at Seph with a wide grin.

"Sorry I'm late! I had some things to get!"

"It's alright, Khalid," Seph said quietly. "I'm just glad you did make it. I have things to take care of, and cannot stay here. He stood up, and prepared to leave. "She's awake now, so she'll be easy to look after. Watch out for the annoying thing though…"

Trent made a 'Feh!' sound, and turned away.

Khalid smiled at Steph. "Hello, my name is Khalid. This is my home you're in right now. I'm glad you are feeling better."

Steph smiled. "Nice to meet you, Khalid. I'm Steph. Thank you for taking me in. Tell me, are you friends with Seph?"

"Oh yes," Khalid said brightly. "A lot of people around here are. Everyone wants to be a great Assassin like him some day. Even I do."

"Where…am I, exactly?" Steph asked. "This isn't Izlude, is it?"

"Izlude?" Khalid echoed, confused. "Izlude is to the north. This is Morroc."

Steph fell over. "Aww man! How could I get so lost?!"

Khalid laughed. "Tell me, do you get lost often?"

"Yeah," Steph moaned. "Actually, I do."

Steph was famous for her terrible sense of direction. She could get lost going to the marketplace in Payon, which was just down and a little west of her house. Umi joked that they should tie a string to her wrist, tie the other end to the front door, and use it to keep her from getting lost.

"Anyway," Khalid said. "You should rest, and get some supplies before you try to continue on from here. Prontera is closer than Izlude, but you can get to Izlude fairly quickly from there. Besides, Prontera is the capitol city."

"Really?" Steph said, surprised. She figured that she could get more experience going there than Izlude, and decided in her own mind to go there instead.

"Better give her a map," Trent piped up. "Or Seph'll have to come rescue her again."

Steph stepped on Trent again.

—

"So, why do you need yellow herbs again?" Steph asked Khalid as they walked over the white sands of the Sogart Desert, towards a large, white stone monument.

"There's a doctor, who lives in Morroc who heals people for free," Khalid explained. "The kids get hurt a lot, and poison is common because of all the scorpions around. So I gather herbs for him as my way of thanking him." Khalid smiled at Steph, who blushed back a little.

"That's nice of you," she said.

"Well," Khalid explained. "When I was young, I got stung by a scorpion, and almost died from the poison. He cured me, and even took care of me while I recuperated. I was so thankful to him…" Khalid seemed lost in thought. "He wouldn't accept any payment I offered him. So I started bringing him herbs."

"Are they hard to get?" Steph asked. There were always lots of green herbs around Payon, but the shiny herbs that grew east of the village were rare, and sought after. Both Steph and Umi made good pocket money collecting them for the village doctors.

Khalid nodded. "Morroc is a desert town, so hardly anything grows. Herbs like water, so they grow around the small pools near the town, and the ruins. The best ones grow near the Sphinx."

"Sphinx?" Steph asked curiously.

Khalid pointed to the cat-like monument they were coming up on. It sat on a large patch of sand in the centre of a deep pool of water, and a wooden bridge stretched from the bank to between its paws. A lady with long hair stood beside the entrance, yawning a little.

"Don't mind her," Khalid said good-naturedly. "She's like the guide to the Sphinx. She tells people about it when they come. She must really hate her job, but she's here every day, no matter what."

Steph smiled. A woman quite similar to the Sphinx guide stood in the centre of Payon, telling people about all the things to see there. She didn't seem to like her job either, but was there every day, rain or shine.

Trent seemed bored. "This place is kinda dull," he commented off-handily

"You didn't have to come," Steph grumbled. "You could have stayed behind…"

"Nah," Trent replied, grinning. "I couldn't pass up an opportunity to watch you make a fool of yourself again."

Steph shook her fist threateningly at the Drop.

"Oh, look! Here's a good one!" Khalid said excitedly. He held up a bright yellow plant in his hand, and Steph felt excited.

"Wow! I didn't realize they were so big!" She ran over to Khalid. "And they look really healthy!"

"I told you, they like water," Khalid said proudly. "These yellow herbs are the best I've ever come across. And they're quite plentiful here."

Steph looked over, and caught Trent chomping down on a yellow herb plant, looking quite pleased with himself.

"TRENT, YOU GOOBER!" Steph screamed, running over and kicking the Drop. "WE NEED THOSE! DON'T EAT THEM!"

"Sorry," Trent replied, mumbling past the plant in his mouth. "But I really like yellow herbs. They're my favourite."

Steph made a face. "But they're so bitter raw."

Trent swallowed. "Well, I like 'em. It doesn't mean you have to."

"Well, don't eat them all," Steph muttered angrily. "We need to bring them to the doctor so he can make potions out of them."

"Sound like fun," Trent replied dryly.

Khalid laughed. "Your friend is amusing."

"Oh yes, a barrel of laughs," Steph replied sarcastically.

"Here, I'll show you how to pick them properly," Khalid said, ushering her over. Steph sat down beside Khalid and watched intently.

"First, you carefully take it under the leaves like so," he said, demonstrating. "Then, you very carefully cut the stem near the ground with your knife, like so." He carefully severed the plant from the roots, and placed it in his bag. "They are very delicate, you see."

"I see," Steph said, amazed. "Green herbs are harvested differently. You just take the leaves…"

"Oh, yes, but green herbs are heartier," Khalid said. "Yellow herbs are delicate, and the doctor uses the whole plant in his medicines."

Interesting," Steph said.

Trent glared at the two, who were sitting rather near each other, their heads dangerously close. He suddenly bounced over, landing in Steph's lap, and piped up loudly.

"You know, I hear people actually smoke yellow herbs. Weird, huh?"

Steph smiled, almost painfully. "Uhh, yeah…" She then looked like she remembered something. "Oh, wait…people seemed to like smoking green herbs too, but they would roll them up and smoke them that way."

Khalid laughed. "How odd!"

Trent still didn't look too happy, so he bounced up and down on Steph's lap. "Hey! C'mon! Let's go! Let's harvest some plants!"

"Okay, okay!" Steph grumbled. "When did you get all excited to do this?"

"Anything to get you away from him," Trent muttered under his breath as he bounced off towards the nearest yellow herb.

—

Skoll chased Sol across the sky, and soon a thick, black velvet blanket fell over the world, ripped with many tiny holes, though which the light of the heavens poured through.

Steph and Khalid sat on the room of the Inn, watching the stars twinkle at them, and connected them with invisible lines they drew with their fingers, making pictures of animals and famous warriors.

Finally, Steph turned to look at Khalid. "Do you…live all by yourself?" she asked.

Khalid nodded slowly. "I do…It wasn't always like that."

"You had parents once, right?" Steph asked tentatively.

Khalid hesitated. "No…a friend. He was like a brother to me."

"Oh?" Steph asked, sitting up on her elbows.

Khalid stared up at the sky for a while, thinking. "He had no family, like me, so we helped each other get by. We both learned to steal, and we did so to get by. One day, he told me he was going to be a great warrior, and left. I never saw him again after that."

Steph looked at Khalid sadly. "You must miss him…"

"I do…" Khalid said quietly. "I had a fight with him the day he left. I had told him about wanting to become an Assassin, but he didn't want me to be one. He told me it was too dangerous, and that most do not make it."

Steph looked at Khalid with sad eyes.

"But I know why he was worried. Being an Assassin is dangerous work, and there are many risks. One must be proficient with poisons, and master stealth and mercilessness. It is a lonely profession." Khalid sighed, and looked into Steph's eyes.

"So…why then? Why become an Assassin?" Steph asked quietly.

Khalid was quiet. He looked away for a while, and then spoke.

"To protect people."

More silence followed. A soft wind blew through the town, stirring up a bit of dust that stung Steph's cheek as she squinted off into the night, her gaze fixed on the lights of the buildings of Morroc. She looked down at Khalid with a soft smile.

"I became an archer for the same reason."

Khalid smiled at Steph.

"So, did this friend…have a name?" Steph asked.

Khalid's eyebrows knitted together. "I cannot remember it, for the oddest reason. But here—I have a picture." He dug around in his breast pocket, and pulled out a tattered old photograph, and handed it to Steph.

Steph gazed at the photo, squinted a bit in the low light, and then realized it was the image of two young boys. They were grinning from ear to ear, their arms around each other's shoulders. One was obviously Khalid, for he had darker skin and light, sandy hair. The other had a paler complexion, but dark hair, that was strangely white at the tips. Steph felt something jog in her memory, but she couldn't recall what.

"I…I feel like I've seen him before…" Steph murmured.

"Maybe you have," Khalid said. "He has probably become a great warrior now."

Steph smiled. "Maybe so…but you can't believe you won't be one soon?"

"Oh, maybe not right away," Khalid said shyly. "I plan on taking it slow once I am an Assassin. Learn the trade carefully, from someone who is a master of it."

Steph handed the picture back to Khalid, who put it back in his pocket. He looked at her with a little smile.

"What about you? Did you have parents?"

"Not really," Steph said quietly. "I had a mother, who was a lot older than the other mothers of the village. It was me and her and my little sister for the longest time."

"You have a sister?" Khalid asked, curiously.

"Yeah," Steph said proudly. "My little sister, Umi. She's two years younger than me." She grinned. "She's also very pretty, and really smart, and a good cook."

Khalid smiled. "I'd like to meet her someday."

Steph grinned. "Well, when you become a famous Assassin, I'll take you to meet her," Steph said firmly.

"Deal," Khalid said, offering his hand to Steph to seal the deal. She took it firmly, and the two shook on it.

"You have a firm grip," Khalid remarked, surprised. "I would never have guessed! You're so pretty and delicate-looking!"

Steph laughed, embarrassed, and scratched the back of her head. "Aww sucks! That's sweet of you to say! Everybody always called me a tomboy back home!"

Khalid smiled, his face getting a little pink. "You're really pretty when you laugh…"

Steph stopped, surprised, and her face got warm. Her cheeks flushed, utterly embarrassed. "Y-you r-really t-think so?"

Khalid nodded, his face flushing more. "You should smile more often…"

Steph, totally red in the face now, just sat there, as if unable to move. She blinked repeatedly, as if trying to understand what was going on.

Khalid leaned closer to her, his heart beating loudly in his ears. His mouth got very dry all of a sudden, and he felt sweat pour off his back. Steph too, without realizing it, had leaned a bit closer, and suddenly the two were close enough to touch their noses together. Steph's eyes fluttered closed as if by some reflex, and Khalid's did the same. His mouth was close enough to hers now that she could feel his gentle breath on her lips. Her heart was so loud in her ears it was deafening. She felt herself lean in that little bit more, as if reaching for him. It was a very intense moment.

"OIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!" A loud, obnoxious yell blasted up from the road below the Inn, and both Steph and Khalid were startled out of their trance. They looked at each other, embarrassed, and then down at the source of the disturbance.

Trent was staring up at them, looking very cross. He seemed to be a deeper shade of orange than usual, and his eyes were sharp as knives.

"Get yer asses down here, and get inside! It gets cold at night you know! Move it!" He yelled at them in a loud, angry voice, like a mother scolding her children.

What's your deal?!" Steph barked angrily back at Trent. "What are you yellin' at me for?!"

"Shaddup and get down here!" Trent snapped back.

"Better do what he says," Khalid joked nervously. "He sounds serious."

—

_That was way too intense…we almost kissed,_ Steph thought to herself that night in bed. She was huddled up under her covers, Trent hogging half her pillow, drooling and snoring loudly. Her mind clicked away at such a pace she couldn't find sleep.

_Why did that happen? Do I like Khalid? Sure, he's nice and all, but…do I really like him? Does he like me? Would it have gotten even more intense had we not been interrupted? Wait…was I even ready for that?! Did I do the right things? And more importantly, why is it called green cheese if it's white?_

Steph sat up in bed, was too wired to sleep. She ran a hand though her poppy-coloured hair and groaned under her breath.

"What is _wrong_ with me?!" She hissed to herself, burying her head in her lap.

—

Khalid and Steph didn't make eye contact the next morning. Khalid glued his gaze to his food, and Steph, who hadn't slept very much the night before, tried to look out the window at something while trying not to fall asleep at the table.

The door opened without so much as a knock, and Seph came in, holding a parcel of sorts in his arms. He paused at the door, looking over the two at the table.

"Did something happen?" he asked flatly.

"Hoo boy, did something happen all right," Trent muttered from under Steph's chair.

Seph paused for another moment, and then walked over to Khalid. "I have the supplies she will need for her trip."

"Oh, thank you," Khalid said gratefully. "You didn't have to do that for me…"

"It was no trouble," Seph responded. "I had to get some things for myself, as it were."

"Are you leaving again?" Khalid asked, crestfallen.

"Yes," Seph replied. "Tomorrow. I have matters to clear up elsewhere."

Khalid looked upset, but tried to smile. "You'll be back soon, though, right?"

Seph said nothing for a bit. "I will try."

Steph fell off her chair, and woke with a start as she hit the floor. She rubbed her head as she sat up again. "Owwie…"

"Smooth…" Trent muttered.

Khalid blushed, and looked elsewhere. Seph looked from Steph to Khalid a few times, and then turned to leave the house.

"Leaving Seph?" Steph asked, sleepily.

Seph nodded, but as he opened the door, it suddenly swung open, and an Assassin fell inside the house, and into Seph's arms. He gave a chocking wheeze of pain, and Steph saw he was covered with many arrow and knife wounds.

"What happened?" Seph asked the man.

"R-r-rouges…" the man gasped, clutching his wounds and wincing in pain. "Outside…town…stormed the…Assassin Guild…many of them…"

"Rouges," Khalid looked distraught. "Why would rouges attack the Assassin Guild?"

"Worst enemies," Seph replied. "Rouges and Assassins are bitter rivals. They would do anything to get what they seek, and use any means necessary. They are worse then trash."

Trent seemed to make an upset sound under the chair, but Steph figured she was hearing things.

"No one…can…stop them all…too many…" the man gasped out. "Please…help…Master Seph—"

And with that, the man died.

It was an uncomfortable feeling, watching someone die like that. Steph felt the hair on her back stand straight up, and a cold shutter passed though her. Everyone else looked a bit unsettled as well.

Seph stood up. "I'm off to stop this."

"Wait!" Khalid said, grabbing Seph's arm. "I'm going too!"

Seph shook his head. "You'll only be in the way."

Khalid looked upset. "You don't get it! I need to do this! I need to prove to the Assassin's Guild that I'm worthy to become an Assassin! I can do this! Please! Let me do this!"

There was dead silence in the room for a moment, until a voice piped up.

"Let the kid go. If he wants to get hurt so badly, let him. He's a big kid now, he can make his own decisions."

Steph kicked Trent, her face shocked. "What a terrible thing to say!"

Seph seemed to think for a second. "You…got taller…" he said to Khalid, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I hadn't noticed until now."

Khalid looked very happy all of a sudden. He smiled at Seph, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks.

"I will not let you down."

Steph looked at the two men, and felt something knot in her stomach.

"I'm coming too!" she said, standing up. When she was met with blank stares, she felt a bead of sweat run down her face.

"Well…I want to help too, you know."

"Maybe you can," Seph said quietly. "A lot of Rouges use bows. You may be of some help to us."

"Really?" Steph asked, amazed.

Trent grumbled. "How does that saying go? '_I have a bad feeling about this_'?"

—

The Assassin's Guild was a large set of ruins East of Morroc. They had once been a temple of sorts, but now were nothing more than sand-swept blocks and crumbling pillars. The Guild itself was inside the largest of the structures, deep underground, where it was cool and dark, safe from the dry desert heat.

But now the Guild was crawling with rouges, all of whom were very shady-looking and some downright greasy-looking. They were covered in spiky collars and bracelets, and dressed in dark colours. Most sported scars and patches of some kind, and some even had tattoos. They were a loud, rambunctious lot, and Steph could smell them before she could see them.

"Eww, when do they bathe?" she muttered to herself.

Trent grumbled again, and Steph thought she heard something about stereotypes and people's skewed views on things.

Steph ignored Trent, and squinted, trying to see past the blinding waves of sand being blown around by the wind, and figure out what she was up against. Finally, the sand settled down, and Steph made out many, many, many figures. She counted quickly.

"26…47…50?! Fifty men to do all this? What a bunch of cowards." She sniffed angrily. "They obviously can't do anything unless they're in groups."

"Their motto is, 'Prey on the weak, ignore the strong, and win at any cost'," Trent explained dryly. "So don't underestimate them, by any means."

Steph sighed. She stepped into the clearing in the debris nervously, and cleared her throat loudly.

Fifty pairs of eyes turned to look at her.

"Uhh, hi there," Steph said cheerfully, her voice failing her. "You all look kinda busy, so I'll keep this brief. I'm here to see someone named Kidd."

"He ain't here," one rouge grunted.

"You don't look like a 'Sin," another rouge remarked. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"Me?" Steph said nervously. "Oh, I, uhh…have a delivery to make!"

"Smooth," Trent murmured.

"Let's see this 'delivery'," a tall, rather good-looking Rouge (if it was possible among Rouges) said, stepping forward. He wore a patch over his right eye, and a dark scar ran over the bridge of his nose. He looked down his nose at Steph, grinning almost evilly.

"Uhh, well, gosh, I seem to have misplaced it," Steph said, sweating bullets. "I guess I'll have to find it and come back some other time."

"Oh no, the party's just getting started, see?" the one-eyed rouge said to Steph, grabbing her arm roughly. "You're too pretty to just let go wandering back into the desert."

The other rouges all murmured happily about the rouge's statement, and many began eyeing Steph up. She squirmed nervously.

"Oh crap. Uhh, hey, c'mon, that's not very nice you know. Can't you cut a lost girl some slack?"

The rouge grabbed Steph's tunic and began to try to take it off of her. "Let's see what we've got under this, shall we?" His voice was like oil now, smooth and silky, but nasty all at the same time. Steph struggled, trying to get away.

_Seph, you're plan sucks!_ she thought bitterly to herself.

"Ooh, you're a real cutie," the rouge said, his hand sliding down the collar of her tunic. Steph squealed, and tried desperately to get him off.

"GET OFF ME, YOU JERK!"

The rouge laughed, but his head was yanked back as if by an invisible force, and suddenly, Seph materialized, and threw the rouge across the sand into the crowd of other rouges who had stood up in surprise.

Steph grabbed her tunic and held it together, panting fearfully, and shaking. Seph stepped in front of her.

"You heard the lady."

Khalid ran up to Steph. "Are you alright?" he asked hurriedly. She nodded.

The rouge that had been thrown stood up, wiping his mouth off. "Well, well, well boys…look who it is…" He grinned evilly. "If it isn't the great hero himself…Sephiroth."

The sounds of people screaming, and doors slamming could be heard, and a baby's cry pierced the air, and Steph looked around to see where the noise had come from. But it had gotten silent again, and so she turned back to the showdown.

"Where have I heard that name?" Steph whispered.

"Who hasn't?" Trent whispered back. "He's only one of the greatest Assassins who has ever lived. And one of the deadliest. People say he can destroy an entire town by himself, and there would be no trace of it by morning."

Steph shuttered. "That's pretty scary."

Seph stared down the rouge. "You know my name, I see. So, shall I then know yours?"

"The name," the rouge said, pointing to his chest, "Is Roy. People call me 'Ruby Red Roy' because of all the people I've killed."

"That's nice," Seph said disinterestedly.

"That's all you can say?!" Roy barked angrily. "What kind of a comment is that?!"

"You mean nothing to me," Seph said flatly.

"So why ask for my name then, dipshit?!" Roy blasted.

"I only wanted to know your name," Seph said darkly, "So I know what to tell the Undertaker…to put on your headstone."

A ripple of 'Oohs!' went up from the crowd, and Roy seemed to get really pissed.

"I'm gonna fucking KILL YOU!" Roy blasted, whipping out his knife. His face was a bright magenta colour, and Steph actually flinched as he lurched forward. The guy was rather scary.

But Seph wasn't intimidated easily, and didn't move as Roy lunged at him. He did, however, bury a katar deep in Roy's gut, as Roy was about to stab Seph in the chest.

"Oh, that katar is poisoned, by the way," Seph informed the man calmly. "You have about ten seconds to live. Make peace with whatever gods you worship, because you are about to meet them."

Roy slid off the katar with a gasping sound, and fell to the ground, shuttered a few times, and then died.

Steph cupped a hand over her mouth to keep from vomiting. It was too much for her. She had never dealt with death like this very well. She still remembered the smell of her mother after she had passed on…

Steph turned away and revisited breakfast.

There was a moment of absolute silence, and then everyone attacked, all at once. It was a brawl of epic proportions. None of the rouges were any match for Seph, and they all fell to his katars. Khalid seemed hesitant to fight, but when he actually started, he was very good at it.

"This is…terrible…" Steph gasped weakly.

"This is life," Trent replied, grimly. "Everyone is out for everyone else. This isn't some fairy tale, where everyone is happy at the end. You live, you fight, you die. That's the reality of it all."

Steph trembled. She was terrified. She never wanted to kill anyone. She just couldn't do it. And yet here she was, witnessing this massacre.

It became quiet all of a sudden. Seph looked around. Most of the rouges were either dead or wounded severely. Khalid grinned as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"You did very good," Seph informed Khalid. "I'd say you became a man today."

Khalid grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, sir. I'm honoured."

"I'll take it up with Kidd," Seph continued. "I'll let him know about everything you did today. I'm sure he'll feel as I do, that you deserve to be an Assassin."

Steph looked up and tried her best to smile at Khalid. She still felt nauseous, but she was happy for Khalid, and wanted him to know that she was happy for him.

Trent even looked happy, even if it was in a distance, masculine sort of way.

"You did great, kid," Trent said quietly.

"Thank you, all of you," Khalid said, with a smile. His tears had begun to run over his face. "I am so happy right now. It's almost as if I could fly. I feel almost as if I could touch the clouds. This is the happiest day of my life."

Steph smiled, remembering how great she had felt to achieve her archer status. Khalid looked overjoyed.

"We should celebrate!" Steph said. She had managed to stand up now, shakily, and walked a step closer. "I'll buy you a drink!"

"Indeed," Khalid said happily. We should celebrate. It is a good da—"

A sharp whistling sound cut Khalid off, and Steph realized, to her horror, that an arrow was buried in Khalid's chest. His face was of complete shock, and he slowly fell backwards, as if in slow motion. Steph was unable to move. She was completely in shock and disbelief.

"KHALID!!!!" A scream next to Steph snapped time back to normal. Trent had been the one to scream, and his eyes had gone wild. The Drop was in hysterics as he bounced over to Khalid's side. "Oh god, Khalid! Khalid! KHALID!"

Khalid was bleeding heavily from the shaft in his chest, and seemed to be in too much shock to move. He still had the same shocked look on his face as he lay there. Steph felt her whole body begin to shake again.

Seph whirled around, and saw the shooter. It was a rouge wielding a bow, who had been standing on top of the Guild, with his back to the sun. They had all completely missed him.

Seph's whole body seemed to snap in anger. "How…dare you…" he whispered. "How…dare…you…" His battle aura became visible all of a sudden, and the wind became violent. His platinum hair whipped about his face, and his eyes had gone hard and dangerous.

"You…scum…no…worse than scum…" Seph took a step forward. "You absolute dirt."

The rouge seemed scared, and fired another shaft. It whizzed past Seph's cheek, grazing it slightly, and landing in the sand behind him. Seph didn't even flinch.

"YOU….WILL…PAY." Seph's words were hard as steel now, and Steph felt an icy stab in her stomach as fear overwhelmed her.

From Seph's right shoulder unfurled one black angel wing. The air became filled with black feathers, whipped about violently by the winds Seph had stirred up.

With a savage cry, Seph leapt forward, and lunged at the Rouge. His speed was unimaginable as he suddenly appeared in front of the Rouge, and raised his katar to strike.

"Goodbye," Seph whispered under his breath as the katar came down and severed the rouge's head from his body.

Seph stood there, bathed in the rouge's blood, and did not move. He seemed absolutely unable to move, as if he had just used every ounce of strength he had. The blood make plipping sounds as it hit the stone beneath him, almost musical in nature, deceivingly light-hearted for the scene at hand.

Khalid coughed suddenly, breaking the silence. Blood bubbled from his mouth, and he winced in pain.

Steph collapsed again, screaming in terror. "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, OH GOD!!" She clutched at her hair, yanking and tearing at it, her eyes wild and unable to tear themselves from Khalid's bloody body.

"DO SOMETHING!!" Trent screamed at Steph, desperate.

Steph shook her upper body, back and forth, as if to say 'no'. She was sobbing and crying hysterically.

Khalid turned his head to look at Trent, who looked back with wide, terrified eyes.

"…Tr…ent…" he managed to say, and then his eyes closed, and he gave one last, ragged breath as he died.

—

Steph sat on the bed inside the house, staring at a crack in the floor through half-shut, wet eyes. She was still in total shock from the day before.

Seph was leaning against the wall across from her. He too seemed rather out of sorts, but he seemed more stoic than Steph did.

"I can't…believe he's gone…" Steph said quietly, her voice choked.

Seph said nothing.

"It almost seems unbearably cruel…he had just achieved something so important, and then…" Steph stopped. She felt another tear edge silently out of her eye and hit the floor.

Seph, again, said nothing.

Steph took a shaky breath, and said the next words very slowly.

"But what I don't understand is…"

Outside, a small cross made of wood stood at the head of a pile of earth and rocks. And there, cuddled next to the cross, was an orange blob, crying silently as he sat there where no one could see him.

"…why Trent is the only one of us who hasn't left his side."

—

NEXT CHAPTER:

A new town, a new adventure. Can Steph put the pain of Khalid's death behind her? Can she find the name of the knight who saved her? Will Trent ever stop causing trouble? Find out in "_This Town is a Gathering Place, Honey, You Just Don't Know Why Yet._"


	3. Chapter 3 This Town is a Gathering Place

**Gypsy Rose**

**A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell**

Author's Notes: That last chapter scared me. No, really, it scared me. I have never written such a horrible scene with such gusto before. Apparently, according to several people on lRO (Seph and Sariah especially) it was really good. Well, at least that's good for something. XP Hopefully, I'll get into a rhythm now, and it won't feel so sluggish. I may even have more chapters soon. Art is coming, I just need more time to get inspired, is all. Lately my art has really been suffering. Dx I really need to go back to art school…

Chapter Three – This Town is a Gathering Place, Honey, You Just Don't Know Why Yet 

_Dear Umi;_

_It's been a couple of weeks or so since I left. I know I told you I'd write every day, but I can't really promise that. Once a week or so should be okay, right?_

_Anyway, a lot has happened since I left. I met some knight in Payon woods. Wow, he was really something else. Together, we took out Vagabond Wolf. Unfortunately, he left without telling me, and his name got blurred out of his note, so I don't even know his name. Bummer. I really wanted to thank him for all he did._

_I also ended up in Morroc instead of Izlude, and got heatstroke. Thankfully, I met this really cool Assassin named Seph. He was really nice, and his friend, Khalid, was a really nice guy too. He wanted to be an assassin as well._

_Unfortunately, I ended up picking up a pet—this really perverted Drop named Trent. He's getting on my nerves, but he won't leave. I get the feeling he was someone's pet once, but he insists that he wasn't._

_At any rate, I finally made it out of Sogart Desert, and am on my way to Prontera. I should get there tomorrow morning, where I can restock my supplies, and mail this letter. I still haven't dipped into the silver arrow quiver you gave me! _b(.)d

_I'm also sending a bit of money your way to help with things on your end. It may not be very much, but please use it any way you want. Adventures make quite a bit of money, so I won't starve or sleep out in the cold without reason. _

_With much love,_

_Your big sister_

_Steph 3_

Steph finished her letter, and folded it carefully, putting it away in her bag with a satisfied smile. She felt a little better than she had in almost a week.

"What'cha doing?" Trent asked, looking up into Steph's face with a curious look.

Steph was momentarily startled by him, but then recovered, and scowled. "Writing my sister."

"You have a sister?" Trent asked, amazed. "What's she like?"

Steph blinked. "Well…" She chose her words carefully. "She's really sweet, and a good cook, and everyone really likes her."

"So, she's your total opposite then?" he quipped sarcastically.

Steph growled. "Watch it, blubberbutt." Her eyebrow twitched.

"Dinner tasted a little overdone," Trent said somberly.

Steph grumbled. Trent ate her food instead of the pet food she had picked up in Morroc, much to her disappointment. Other than the yellow herbs he seemed so fond of, Trent ate human food, and acted very much like a normal person would. Steph decided finally to figure out why.

"Hey, Trent?" Steph asked, poking the orange blob. "What's with you, anyway? You don't act like a monster. You act like a person."

Trent made a face. "So? What about it?"

"You told me you weren't anybody's pet," Steph said darkly. "But I'm thinking you're a big fat liar. There's no other way to explain your behaviour."

Trent seemed nervous suddenly. He didn't say anything, but his face was clearly agitated.

"Well?" Steph pushed, trying to corner Trent until he finally confessed.

Trent grumbled. "Okay, fine…I was someone's pet."

"Ah-HA!" Steph cried out triumphantly. "I knew it!"

Trent looked deflated. "I didn't tell you because I was desperate. I figured you wouldn't take me with you if you knew I was someone else's pet."

Steph poked Trent casually with her foot. "Well then, if someone owned you, why are you alone? I bet they got tired of you, and abandoned you, am I right?"

Trent looked upset. "No way! My…my owner disappeared. As if…as if he was kidnapped…or worse…"

Steph looked shocked. "Okay, you have to be pulling my leg."

Trent shook his head, a funny motion on him, as it required his entire body. "No, I'm dead serious." He looked at Steph, and his small eyes were hard and serious. "One day I woke up, and he was gone. No note, no warning. All his stuff was still there, and no one saw him leave." Trent looked upset. "I was…so scared. No one would help me because…because I'm a Drop…" Trent actually looked on the verge of tears.

Steph got off the log she was sitting on, and sat down beside Trent, and put a hand on him, pulling him closer. "Go on," she whispered softly.

Trent sniffled, and regained some composer. "Anyway, I didn't get any leads at all, so I figured that if I worked with a person, I would find him some day."

Steph petted Trent comfortingly, and he leaned against her thigh, still upset and troubled.

"I think I understand…but why not tell me from the beginning? Why lie?" Steph looked genuinely worried.

Trent sighed. "I dunno. I just figured you'd leave me too, like everybody else."

"Well, I want to help, okay?" Steph said. "So, tell me about him, and I'll do whatever I can to find him for you."

Trent looked up at Steph, his face brightening. "Really? Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" He leapt into her lap, and buried his face in her stomach, sobbing happily.

Up until that point, Steph had wanted anything to get rid of Trent, but now she felt a tiny bit of sympathy form in her stomach for the poor little thing. She figured it was the least she could do for him. I mean, after all, his master would take him back, right? And then he'd be taken off her hands, and she'd be rid of the perverted thing once and for all.

Trent finally unburied his face from Steph's stomach, and looked into her face again. "Okay, I'll tell you everything I know about him."

"Well, start with his name," Steph said.

"Trent."

Steph blinked. "No, not your name, Trent. His name."

"That _is_ his name, Steph." Trent looked amused.

Steph made a face. "Why would he name his pet after himself?! That makes no sense!"

Trent laughed. "Don't ask me."

Steph recovered her composer. "Okay, so what else can you tell me about him?"

Trent took a breath. "Well, he's a rouge."

"Okay, I get it now." Steph finally understood why Trent had been annoyed when people had been bad-mouthing Rouges in Morroc.

"He dressed in black, see? And he wore the same sunglasses I do. In fact," Trent went on proudly. "He dressed me the same as him. We have the same piercings and everything."

Steph made a face. "Grrreeeaaaattttt…Hey, I'm all for customization and everything, but why go to such lengths to make your pet just like yourself? Makes no sense to me…"

Trent made an almost shrugging motion. "Anyway, we met shortly after he started his journey, so we were together a long time. I guess eventually I started picking up his mannerisms and stuff—the way he talked, the way he acted, that sort of thing."

Steph felt all hope slip from her. _So, in other words, the owner is just like this pet? Great…_

"Anything else I can work with?" Steph asked, sighing loudly.

Trent was quiet. "Do you have Khalid's picture still?" he asked suddenly.

Steph blinked. "Yeah, actually. Why?"

Trent sighed quietly. "Well, Khalid's friend, the one who ran off, the one in that picture…is him. My owner."

Steph fell over, in shock. "WHA-AT?!"

Trent nodded again. "Yeup."

Steph felt like crying. "No way…no way…that's too much of a coincidence! NO WAY!!"

Trent sighed again, each time he did so it seemed heavier and more hopeless. "See? See why I'm having so much trouble?"

Steph rubbed her eyes. "Okay, so, where did he go missing from?"

"I last saw him in Prontera," Trent answered. "He'd gotten into a fight with someone that night, but that was nothing new. It was about a girl too."

"Let me guess," Steph said slowly. "Also nothing new?"

Trent nodded.

"So my best bet," Steph said tiredly. "Is in Prontera…"

There was silence for a while, and then Steph got up and walked over to where her sleeping bag was set up. She took off her boots, and other gear, crawled under the covers, and was about to go to sleep, when she felt something warm and heavy on her chest. She pried an eye open to see Trent looking at her with a pitiful face. "Can I sleep in there with you?"

"No," Steph replied flatly.

"Why not?" Trent whined.

"Because I know you," Steph replied shortly. "And I know you'd try snuggling my boobs again. So no." She rolled over, knocking Trent off her, and tried to go to sleep.

Trent bounced dejectedly over to the dying embers of the fire, and tried to get comfortable beside it. There was some shuffling noises, and then some quiet. And then the shivering noises started. Steph felt slight annoyance.

"What is it now?" she asked shortly.

"I'm cold," Trent said in a pitiful voice.

Steph knew it was a little colder than during the day, but she was grateful for the slight drop in temperature after the unbearable desert heat. However, Trent was a Drop, and probably liked heat, so the change in temperature probably bothered him quite a bit. She sighed.

"Okay, come here, you whiner. But nothing perverted, got it?" Her voice was a warning tone.

Trent bounced over to Steph, his face happy, and snuggled into Steph's arms under the blankets. Steph had to admit, the added heat was rather nice, and Trent was behaving, so she figured she'd better enjoy it while she could. She felt her eyes closing slowly, and sighed happily under her breath. As they closed, she heard Trent mumble faintly.

"Thank…you…"

—

"_Just keep going north from here," Seph told Steph as he paused. Steph looked at the Assassin with curiosity. He had led her and Trent all the way from Morroc to here, the edge of the desert. "Aren't you coming to Prontera with us?"_

"_I'm afraid not," Seph informed her. "I have to be on my way to Gonryun. I have some things to attend to there."_

_Steph looked down a bit. "I remember you saying you had things to do…At least you stayed for the funeral…"_

_Seph looked a bit upset for a second, but it was a brief instant, nothing more. "It put me behind schedule, but I have no regrets about attending. Khalid was a good friend."_

_There was quiet for a bit. "I can't ever thank you for everything you have done," Steph said quietly._

_Seph was silent for a long time. Then he turned to leave, and as he was walking away he said, "A bit of advice."_

"_Yes?" Steph asked quietly._

"_As long as you live, you will be followed by misfortune," Seph said quietly. He looked at Steph over his shoulder. "It has nothing to do with you, you see. You were just born under an unfortunate star."_

_Steph stared at Seph in horror. She couldn't say a word to him._

"_Try to distance yourself from others," he said as he disappeared from view. "Unless you want them dead."_

—

Steph remembered the scene from earlier that day as she slept, and woke with a start. She was startled for a second, and then began to cry silently. If Seph's words were true…

Steph cried bitterly. It didn't seem fair.

—

Prontera was the capital city of Rune-Midgard, and was always bustling with activity and life. Everywhere you looked where merchant's shops, and adventurers from every corner of the world. Beautiful architecture stood high overhead, dazzling and beautiful to the eye. The air was filled with many voices, and smells, and strains of music could be heard from wandering minstrels and bards who entertained the masses to make a living.

Steph looked all about her in wide-eyed amazement. It was exciting and new, and she ran here and there, looking at this shiny thing, or that sparkling thing. She had never been so delighted in her life.

"You're like a crow," Trent joked. "You're drawn to shiny things."

"I can't help it," Steph replied. "It's so pretty!" She looked at a brooch for sale in a stall, but put it down when she saw the price.

"Well, first thing's first: you should unload your excess stuff, get some better armour, and rent a room at the inn." Trent seemed pretty knowledgeable about what to do, and Steph suppressed a smile.

"You've been here before, right?" she asked him.

"Yeup. Several times," Trent replied happily. "This was our centre point, see?"

"Centre point?" Steph echoed, confused.

"It's the point where we always returned after adventuring," Trent explained.

"Well, anyway, point the way for me," Steph said, grinning.

"Good idea," Trent said. "You'd get lost otherwise."

Steph stuck out her tongue at him, and followed the orange blob as it bounced along the cobblestone streets.

—

"3,000 zeny?!" Steph asked, disbelieving what she heard. "Just for this little stone?!"

"That's right," the jeweller told her, in a matter-of-fact tone. "See, this is a Topaz, and a good quality one at that."

Steph nearly fainted. _And that knight just gave it to me!_ She felt herself get dizzy.

The next bit of the day went by in a daze—Steph bought some new armour, a lot more supplies, and mailed her letter to Umi with quite a large amount of zeny in it, and a pair of lovely earnings Steph had spotted in a shop that had been at a decent price.

"Where's the inn?" Steph asked Trent in a dazed voice.

"Huh? Oh…" Trent turned, and started bouncing in a new direction. "This way…" He looked back at Steph. "You okay?"

"A little overwhelmed…" Steph said quietly. "A lot has happened in a short time, you know."

"True," Trent agreed. "You need to rest, is all."

Steph entered the inn, and the innkeeper greeted her with a smile. Steph smiled back, and put some money on the counter.

"I need a room for one, please."

"Certainly. You're name?"

"Steph," she told the innkeeper absently. She looked about her with a sort-of mindless look. Finally, she looked at the innkeeper as he handed her a key.

"Room 1903, last room on the end of this hall, to the left."

"Thank you," she said, and then paused before saying, "Umm, have you, by chance, seen a knight come through here, dressed in black? Long reddish hair?"

The innkeeper paused, and thought. "Oh, I think so. Left with a gunner not thirty minutes ago. I think I heard something about orcs. They must be headed to Orc Village out west."

Steph's stomach sank. "Oh…thanks."

—

Not too far off, a knight clad in black sneezed violently. The gunner walking beside him looked over at him.

"Catching a cold?"

"Nah," the knight replied. "Someone's probably talking about me again."

—

Steph looked down at Trent as she sat on the bed. "Where does one go to get information?"

Trent looked thoughtful for a moment. "Probably the pub."

Steph looked nervous. "Aren't those bad places to go?"

Trent looked at the ceiling, and then at a wall, and then the floor, and then Steph again. "Well, sort of…but if you know what to do, you're fine."

Steph looked more nervous. "But I don't."

"That's what I'm for," Trent replied, grinning.

Steph sighed. She felt trouble brewing…

—

The pub was a noisy, crowded, dark, and smoky place. Most of the tabled in the establishment were full, and many groups of people were seated here and there. Steph looked all around her nervously.

"You lookin' for someone in particular?" a voice behind Steph asked. She jumped a bit, startled, and saw a Lord Knight standing behind her. The man's black eyes focused on Steph with a gentle intensity.

"Oh, uhh, yes…well, no…actually…" Steph got flustered.

The Lord Knight stood patiently and waited for her to finish. Steph finally got relaxed enough to speak coherently.

"Yes…I'm looking for someone named Trent. He's a rouge who went missing recently. Have you seen him at all?"

The Lord Knight was thoughtful. "What did he look like?"

"Uhh," Steph looked at Trent for a moment, and then she reached into her pocket, and pulled out Khalid's picture.

"I'm sorry it's old, but it's all I have. He's this one," she pointed to Trent in the picture. "Have you seen someone like him?"

The Lord Knight shook his head apologetically. "No, sorry. I'm afraid I haven't."

Steph looked crestfallen. "Oh…I see…" She smiled sadly. "Thank you anyway."

"Good luck, miss," the Lord Knight said with a smile. "And I hope you find him." He then walked into the pub, and sat down at a table with a sniper and a paladin.

Steph looked about her, and slowly made her way over to the bar, and sat down. Trent smiled up at her.

"So you struck out the first time," he told her. "Keep trying, and something will turn up."

"Okay," Steph said sadly. The whole thing was rather overwhelming.

"What'll you have?" a voice asked behind her.

Steph turned around to see a man behind the bar, smiling at her. He brushed a bit of pale brown hair out of his face, and Steph noticed his odd-coloured eyes, but couldn't decide on what colour they were.

"Uhh, oh no, I'm here to look for someone," Steph said nervously.

The bartender chuckled. "Sorry, but…patrons only. You need to be drinking, or I can't let you stay." He cocked his head to the side, and smiled. "No matter how cute you are."

Steph turned six shaded of red.

The bartender laughed. "Anyway, who are you looking for?"

Steph recovered, and showed him the picture. The man was quiet for a second, and then snapped his fingers and pointed at the picture.

"Oh yeah, him. He was in here a few months ago. Made a big scene, hitting on this one married woman. Can't forget him." The bartender looked amused.

Steph looked excited. "Do you remember what happened after that?"

"Oh yeah," the man continued. "He left when her husband showed up, and called him out for a fight. Never came back in."

Steph looked worried. "Who was this person, may I ask?" She figured she'd better ask this man who last saw the Rouge.

"You mean that High Wizard? He's been out somewhere for a while now. No one's seen him." The bartender shrugged. "Sorry."

Steph sighed sadly. There went her lead.

"Well, what can I get you?" the bartender asked again.

"Get her a Vermillion Sunrise, on my tab," a voice said beside Steph.

She looked up to see a pretty woman standing beside her. The woman had long lavender hair that reached her ankles, and was plated in a lovely braid down her back. She was dressed in rather lovely clothes, and Steph realized she was a Gypsy. The woman smiled at Steph.

"One Vermillion Sunrise, coming right up," the barkeeper repeated the order with a smile.

"Umm, thank you," Steph said nervously.

"Oh, it's no trouble," the woman said, sitting down gracefully beside Steph. "No trouble at all."

Steph eyed the drink the bartender put in front of her. It looked harmless, but…

"At it again, I see," the bartender said to the Gypsy.

The Gypsy laughed. "I can't help it if I see a poor, pretty thing in distress. I feel obligated to assist."

"Same old Somine," the bartender said with a laugh. "You never change."

"Kvasir…" Somine purred. "Are you mocking me?"

"Me?" Kvasir replied, grinning. "I know better than that."

Steph blinked. Somine had carefully pulled her whip out as they were talking.

"Don't worry about him, dear," Somine said cheerfully to Steph. "He's a lonely man who can't catch a break. Watch yourself, or he might take you home with him."

Steph laughed nervously. "Oh really…"

"Really," Trent muttered darkly under his breath.

"I'm Somine. Somine Hellfire," the Gypsy said, offering her hand to Steph. "And you are…?"

"Steph. Steph O'Dell," Steph replied, taking Somine's hand.

"Ooh, cute name," Somine purred. "You're so adorable, I could just eat you up."

Steph felt nervous suddenly, and didn't know why. Somine seemed a bit too friendly all of a sudden.

"You here alone?" Somine continued. "Or do you have someone…special?"

"Uhh…" Steph said, nervous. "Well, actually…" There was an awkward pause. "I…have to use the restroom. I'll…be right back." She stood up, and carefully made her way towards the restrooms.

Somine watched Steph go with an amused face. "Ooh, I like her."

Kvasir chuckled to himself, amused. "Scared another one off, did you?"

Somine smiled. "I can't help it. She's rather shy. But I'll get to her yet."

"She's way out of your league," a woman sitting next to Somine said, after taking a puff from her cigarette holder.

"Oh?" Somine asked, curiously.

"Yeup," the woman replied casually. "She's covered with bad luck."

Somine smiled. "Sounds like a challenge if I've ever heard one."

"Oh, Somine, I think Ethan just arrived," Kvasir informed the gypsy as he pointed to a bard that had just entered the pub.

Somine sprang to her feet, waving, and ran towards the bard calling, "Oh Ethan!" in a singsong voice. The woman with the cigarette holder watched Somine leave with a small, amused smile.

"She never ceases to amuse me."

Steph came back from the restrooms to find the seat next to her empty. She blinked, and then sighed, relieved.

"She seemed a bit too friendly."

"You have no idea."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Just finish that drink slowly. It's a real nasty one." Kvasir grinned.

"Oh…okay…" Steph carefully took a sip of the drink, which was actually rather tasty. The woman two seats down stared intently at Steph, until Steph finally looked up, and blinked.

"Uhh, is something wrong?"

"You have very curious _Hitsuzen_," the woman remarked.

"Huh?" Steph asked, confused.

"_Hitsuzen_. It's a naturally, foreordained event. A state in which other outcommes are impossible. A result which can only be obtained by a single causality, and other causalities would nessecarily create other results. Basically, it's what most people refer to as _fate_." The woman took another puff of her cigarrete holder, and smiled.

"Are you saying you can see my fate?" Steph asked dubiously.

"Oh no," the woman said. "That's impossible. But your name tells a lot about you. For instance, it tells me you were born under an unlucky star."

Seph's words to Steph rung in her ears at this comment, and she looked at the table, upset.

"Yeah, and? So what?"

The lady smiled, tilting her head. "I find you facinating. Let's be friends, you and I. How about it?"

Steph looked at the woman hesitantly. "I suppose…if you really want to…"

"I'll take my chances," the woman said. "Anyway, I know your name. My name is Yuko. Yuko Ichihara."

Steph moved a seat over so she was sitting with Yuko. "That's a nice name. What do you do for a living, Ms. Ichihara?"

"Please, just call me Yuko," she replied. "And as for what I do, that is difficult to explain. I am, officially, an alchemist, but I'm also a merchant of sorts."

"Of sorts?" Steph seemed puzzled.

"Yes," Yuko explained. "I have what you are looking for….for a price."

"Ahh…I see." Steph seemed to understand, but her face was troubled.

"Come now, don't look so glum." Yuko nudged Steph, smiling. "Finish that drink and I'll get you another."

Steph looked Yuko over. She wore elaborate, and beautiful clothes of silk and other rich materials that hung on her in an elegant way. Her long ebony hair fell down her arms and back like silk threads, and her piercing violet eyes held your attention when you looked into them. She was pale, but not sickly so, and her jewlery was tasteful and lovely. All in all, a woman of taste.

Steph felt the knots in her stomach loosening. Yuko didn't seem like a bad person.

"I think I will take you up on that offer, Yuko-_san_."

—

Evening came faster than Steph expected. By suppertime, she had had two Vermillion Sunrises and her first Tropical Sogart, which she ended up liking better. Many people had come and gone out of the bar, and Trent had actually taken to snoozing at Steph's feet. Yuko had eventually moved them both to a table, and they were observing the other people with interest. A scene was unfurling at a table near the door, and the two women watched with morbid fascination.

A Paladin sporting an Ullie's cap and a pair of dark sunglasses had gotten into a yelling match with a dark-haired whitesmith, and had now risen to their feet. The Paladin knocked his chair over as he did so, and the Whitesmith viciously jabbed the Paladin in the chest with his finger.

"A lazier bastard I have never known!" he barked. "Made me do all the work on that last raid!"

"I did not!" the Paladin retorted. "I did my fair share, like I always do! You were just to preoccupied to notice!" He looked livid by this point, and pushed his face into the Whitesmith's.

"You lying prick!" the Whitesmith retorted, shoving the Paladin roughly backwards. The Paladin grew angry, and shoved the Whitesmith forcefully back, and the man stumbled backwards, and almost out the door. The paladin used this to his advantage, and pushed the Whitesmith out the door, and into the street.

"Oh boy," Kvasir muttered, and threw his towel down on the counter. "Better put a stop to this before it gets too bad." He then jumped over the counter, and ran outside. Most of the bar, including Steph and Yuko, followed.

The Whitesmith threw a mean right hook at the Paladin, and the man stumbled back a step or two from the blow. Wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, he launched his own right swing at the Whitesmith, who blocked it, but could not block the Paladin's counter attack. The heavily armoured boot connected with the smith's side, and he gave a coughing sound as the air was forced out of him.

Kvasir managed to step in between the two men, and pry them apart. "Break it up! Break it up! That's enough you two! Hey!" He shoved them arm's length apart, and the two men glared at each other as Kvasir gave them stern looks.

"I don't care how or why you two want to kill each other, but don't do it in this pub. Go to the Arena if you want to beat each other senseless." The bartender took a cautious step back. "You two got it?"

"Lazy bastard!" the Whitesmith screamed, and threw another punch at the Paladin's head, knocking him to the ground, and causing his sunglasses to fall off.

The Paladin's light eyes flashed angrily. "Wrong move, pal."

"What are you gonna do?" the Whitesmith taunted.

The Paladin stood up slowly, brushed himself off, carefully put his sunglasses back on, and then took a step forward so he was face-to-face with the Whitesmith. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he said, and grabbed the smith's shirt collar. He then pulled his head back, and slammed his forehead into the other man's face. The smith stumbled back, his nose bleeding.

"That's it!" The Whitesmith kicked the Paladin viciously in the stomach, and drove his elbow into the Paladin's neck, starting a grappling session between the two. Kvasir sighed, and rolled his sleeves up.

"Every bloody time…always the same…never listen…well, I did warn them…" He cracked his fingers. "Okay, everyone. You'd better go back inside. Things are about to get nasty."

Yuko pulled Steph inside the pub, and away from the door. Everyone was milling back over to their seats, and Steph wondered if they knew what was going to happen already.

"LORD OF VERMILLION!"

A loud "BOOM!" came from outside, and a bright flash of light, and Steph heard a few yells of pain. Then there was silence again, and Kvasir walked back in, slightly singed.

"Only thing with doing that is," he muttered to himself. "I always get hit with some backlash…"

Steph blinked, almost scared. She looked back at the door, and a few moments later, both men walked back in, their clothes and hair blackened and smoking from some great fire. Yuko chuckled.

"And again, another dramatic finish to a typical barroom brawl."

Steph sighed. "Does this happen often?"

"Almost once a week," Yuko offered up. "Believe it or not, those two are actually good friends."

Steph sighed. "I don't get men sometimes…"

—

Later still, after everything had calmed down from the fight, Steph was passed out on the table, and Yuko was going on her 14th drink of the night. She was flushed, and grinning from ear to ear, and poked Steph with her long fingernail, as if pleased with herself.

"We'll get you trained up yet, little one."

Kvasir chuckled as he leaned on the bar. "She's out cold, huh?"

"Oh yes," Yuko replied. "She's not going anywhere."

"Need a hand?" the bartender asked, coming around the bar to the table. "I'm closing up for the night."

"Good idea," Yuko said. "I don't think I could lift her."

Kvasir carefully scooped Steph up in his arms, and her head flopped against his chest in her sleep. She murmured something incoheirent, and settled in more comfortably, tucking her arms against her chest. Yuko bent down, and scooped Trent up from his place under the chair.

"She's pretty light," Kvasir pointed out, grinning. "I've carried a lot of women, let me tell you, and she's one of the lighter ones."

"Don't lie to me, Kv," Yuko said with a grin. "You couldn't be trusted to carry a woman any more than someone could throw you."

Kvasir looked insulted. "Well, I wouldn't carry you, that's for sure, you old lush."

Yuko kicked Kvasir painfully in the leg with a spiked heel boot. "Touché, Mr. Turtle. Touché."

Kvasir stifled a yelp of pain, and limped out the door towards the inn. Yuko plodded along beside him, smiling away as if the whole thing amused her.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Oh, well…it's just now I have someone to help me with things. I've been rather lonely lately, without anyone to assist me." Yuko grinned. "I think I'll have a lot to teach this little bird yet…"

Kvasir looked warily at Yuko. "Whoa there. Don't go teaching her a bunch of bad habits now. She doesn't need to know the proper way to drink herself stupid."

Yuko laughed loudly. "No, no, fool. I want to teach her to fight. She's as meek as a drowned kitten right now, but with the right nudge, she'll be a fierce fighter some day. And she's quite cute. Used the right way, that could be a very deadly tool for her."

Kvasir sighed. "And the old woman once again poisons the youth of society."

Yuko kicked Kvasir again, in the other leg this time.

—

NEXT CHAPTER:

A new day dawns, and Steph learns it takes hard work and a lot of begging to get anywhere in this town. Her new friend, Yuko, isn't making it easier for her. Between forcing her to work Yuko's shop, and dragging her to the bar, Steph doesn't seem to be making any headway. Or isn't, until she does something incredible dumb—even by her standards. Find out what that is exactly next chapter, in "_It's Not Like I Don't Know What I'm Doing, I Just Haven't Realized That I Actually Do Know Yet._"


	4. Chapter 4 It’s Not Like I Don’t Know

Gypsy Rose

A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell

Author's Notes: I apologize for the boring-ness of the last chapter, although apparently lots of people liked it. xD Lots of people made good guesses on the names of the anonymous characters, and the answers are posted up in the LotusRO forums! Congrats if you got them right! .0 This chapter is going to be my hardest one yet. xP It'll be a challenge to write, so I don't want to rush it too much. Also, I've gotten some drawing ability back, but RO art is slow in coming. Feel free to draw me fanart. :D I love fanart. 3 And finally, Trent continues to be a popular character! He's one of my favourites as well. x3 There will be lots of him in the future, as well as the slow integration of Cheese's characters.

Editor's Note: JAMES, STOP BEING A ENGLISH NAZI!!

Chapter Four – 

It's Not Like I Don't Know What I'm Doing, I Just Haven't Realized That I Actually Do Know Yet

Steph pried her bleary eyes open the next morning, and sat up slowly. Her head felt as though someone was pounding away on the inside of her skull with a hammer. She moaned, and held her head with both hands.

"I feel…like…urg…" Steph moaned, and fell off the bed. She'd actually been trying to climb out of bed, but misjudged where her foot was and got it tangled in the blankets. She fell to the floor with a heavy bang, and slammed her head into a chair near her bed.

Steph bawled in pain.

Trent woke up, and grumbled loudly. "Quit makin' such a big racket this early in the bloody mor—OH MY GODS! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Trent's anger and irritation evaporated when he saw Steph on the floor, clutching her head and crying. He bounced to the floor, and over to her, his face clearly worried.

"Are you okay? What happened? Did you hit your head? Oh no, wait, don't move," Trent cut himself off, and he went pale.

_Why is he so worried_, Steph thought to herself, as her tears began to slow down. The pain had become a dull ache now, and throbbed terribly. She rubbed the bump on her head, and realized it felt wet. A thin trickle of something wet and warm ran down the side of her face.

"ARRG! I'm BLEEDING!" Steph screamed, the realization setting in. She leapt to her feet, but the pounding in her head made her land back down on her ass again.

Trent was making a mad dash for the door.

"DON'T MOVE," he barked at her. "I'm going to get a doctor."

Steph didn't move from where she was sitting, but started crying again. She had never felt so awful in her life. First she was hung over, and then she hurt herself, all in the span of a few minutes.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there, but her tears had eventually turned to sniffles, and she's hugged her knees to her chest with her free arm, the other hand clutching her open wound. It wasn't bleeding badly, but it wasn't stopping. Steph whimpered unhappily.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Trent came bounding back in, with a man in tow. He was dressed in a white tunic, but Steph realized he wore assassin's clothes underneath. Still, the man's face was friendly, and he knelt beside her, his face full of concern. "Let me see now, can you move your hand for me? That's a good girl…"

Steph sniffled, and moved her hand. It was red all over from the blood, and Steph felt nauseous, so she lifted her eyes to look at the man helping her. Was he really a doctor?

The man reached into a little black bag he was carrying, and took out a bottle of foul-smelling liquid, and a cotton ball. He dabbed the cotton with the liquid, and carefully patted her wound with it.

"OW OW OW!" Steph whimpered. "That stings!"

"It will," the man said with a gentle smile. "It's a disinfectant. It'll clean your wound and help it heal better." He put the cotton ball into the nearby trash pale, and pulled out a large piece of gauze out of his bag, and a large roll of material. Steph blinked.

"What's that for?"

"I'm going to dress it now. It's not big, but I want to make sure it doesn't re-open. Now hold still." The man put the gauze over the wound, and wrapped it tightly with the material. Steph touched it carefully when he was all done.

"There, see? Nothing to it," the man said with a warm smile. "Don't you feel a bit better now?"

"How long will it take to heal?" Steph sighed.

"I'd saw a week," the doctor said in a serious tone. "But don't rush it. You're just starting out as an adventurer, so you have lots of time."

"No, I don't," Steph muttered to herself. "Yuko's little binge at the bar last night ate up a lot of money. I'm almost broke again." She almost regretted sending so much money to her sister.

"That'll teach you to drink," Trent said in a scolding voice.

The man smiled again. "Remember what I said, and take it easy."

"Thank you, sir," Steph said, then looked puzzled. "Wait, what _is_ your name?"

The man laughed. "Everyone calls me Doc."

"Well, that's not very original," Steph said sensibly.

Doc shrugged. "Well, most people are in too much of a hurry to call me anything else. They're usually trying to keep their arm from falling off, or something to that effect."

Steph made a face. "Err, yeah…Sure…"

"Well, come see me if you get hurt again," Doc said with a smile and wave. "I never turn people away, and I do enjoy cute company."

Steph blushed. _Did he just say I was cute?_

Trent sighed, as if he was worn out. "Don't scare me like that ever again."

Steph reached over, and picked up Trent, and hugged him against her. "I'm sorry, I promise I won't."

Trent got red in the face, and squirmed so he wasn't facing her. "R-right, you'd b-better not, or I won't get the Doc next time, got it?"

"I got it, you silly thing you." Steph smiled. Trent actually seemed worried about her. It was very unlike the Drop, who usually only cared about himself, and only gave a thought to others when it meant that his food supply would be cut off.

Trent wormed out of Steph's hug, and plopped down on the floor of the inn room. "Well, now what?"

Steph sighed. "I need some money, fast. I can barely afford breakfast, much less another night here."

"Eat first, think later," Trent said.

"Good plan," Steph agreed, getting slowly to her feet. She walked slowly into a small washroom attached to the room, and began cleaning herself up, so she was presentable. She brushed her hair, and put them in her low ponytails, slipping her hair ornaments over them with a satisfied smile. She brushed her teeth, and washed her face, and then gathered up her things, and left the room to go to the pub for breakfast.

It was almost dead in the pub that morning, and Steph barely recognized it from the night before. She found a seat near a window, and gave a sigh.

"Oh, you get hurt out in a dungeon somewhere?" a voice asked next to Steph, and she looked up with a start at Kvasir, who had silently walked up to her. She grabbed her chest, and tried to calm herself down again.

"Oh, uhh…actually…" Steph went as red as her hair. "Umm, well, you see…"

"She hurt herself getting out of bed," Trent piped up from the tabletop. He grinned at Steph, who glared daggers back at him.

"_Shutyourmouthyoulittleballofslime_," Steph muttered angrily as she pulled the corners of his mouth out, and he stretched like taffy. Trent gave unhappy cries of pain and protest.

Kvasir smiled, a mixture of sympathy and amusement. "Oh, well, that happens to the best of us…besides, you did have quite a bit to drink last night."

"Never let me drink like that ever again," Steph moaned unhappily, burying her face in her arms.

Kvasir put a hand to his chest, and grinned. "Scouts honour."

"Were you even in Scouts?" Trent muttered under his breath.

"So, you must be here for breakfast," Kvasir continued, not hearing Trent.

"Yes please," Steph mumbled through her arms. "Orange juice please, with oatmeal and crunchy toast, and a bowl of fruit."

"Good choice," Kvasir said. "It'll be right with you." He walked off towards the kitchen to give the cook her order. Steph remembered the bar had been closed the night before after dinner had been served.

"They probably close after 10," Trent rationalized. "By then, everyone has eaten."

"Probably," Steph answered. She was actually not all that interested in what Trent was saying.

A few minutes later, a stalker backslid into the pub, and up to a table near the kitchen. Steph looked at the stalker with surprise. "That was rather surprising. I wonder what that's all about?"

"You liked that, eh?" The stalker asked Steph, sliding up to her table in a few quick steps. Steph blinked in amazement.

"Oh…yes, it was very graceful," Steph blurted out, flustered. She blinked a few times more, and gave a short, nervous laugh.

"Trying to stay inconspicuous, don't you know," the stalker said with a smile. "I may have…_brightened up_ the cobblestones out in the main square in a way that offends some people."

Steph looked at the man with a strange stare. "Brightened up?"

"I wrote some graffiti," the stalker admitted. "Some disparaging comments about a certain pair of miscreants from the area. There may have been some rude comments about their sexuality thrown in for flavour."

Steph glared at the man who had casually admitted to committing a major offence, and didn't seem to have a shred of guilt or humility about it. She wondered if all thieves were as horrible in nature.

"I know that look," the stalker said. "It says, 'What a horrible person! How can he do that so casually? Is he even human?' Am I right?"

Steph was shocked. He was actually pretty close.

"The truth is," the man continued. "I actually like to do mean things, because it's fun. Nothing pleases me more than making fun of someone at their expense."

"That's horrible," Steph said angrily. "That's a terrible thing to do!"

"Perhaps," the man said with a smirk. "But here, look, you hurt yourself. Tell me Miss, did you hit your head on that big ego of yours? Or was it while bending over to kiss someone's ass?"

"You…you…" Steph's fist shook with anger.

"Or perhaps," the stalker went on, his voice growing more and more delighted. "It was simply because you were too clumsy, and fell over while attempting to tie your boots!"

"Shut up!" Steph cried at him, her lip trembling, and her eyes tearing. "How can you be so mean? It isn't fair!"

The stalker looked startled. "Hey, now, don't get all upset! It was all in jest! I assure you! I was merely playing with you. Don't look so sad!" He smiled and made silly motions with his hands. "No tears now."

"Oi," Kvasir piped up, irritated. "Stop harassing my customers, you."

The stalker looked up. The two men locked eyes, and were silent for a moment or two.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the two men chorused in unison.

The stalker looked taken aback. But Kvasir pointed a finger.

"I _do_ know you…you're that stalker, Solis, was it? Always picking fights with the people around this town. Don't you have anything better to do?"

Solis shrugged. "Perhaps. But as it stands, I—" He was cut off by the door opening, and a paladin and a whitesmith stormed in.

"WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS THAT NO-GOOD, SNAKE IN THE GRASS, SON OF A—"

Kvasir cut the whitesmith off. "Who is it you're looking for, Thor?"

The whitesmith turned to look at Kvasir, his eyes blazing. "That stalker who wrote the graffiti on the town square. He's in here somewhere, I know it."

The stalker had vanished from sight as the door had been thrown open, and now everyone was looking all over the bar, trying to spot the stalker in question.

"Wait, Thor?" Trent piped up. "Isn't that the name of a God? The one with the big hammer, **Mjolnir**? Trent looked sceptical.

Thor sighed, and looked irritated. "My parents have a cruel sense of humour," he replied, glaring at Trent.

"Well, the stalker was here just a moment ago," Kvasir said. "So he can't have gone far…"

"We should check outside again," the Paladin said to Thor, who sighed, and nodded.

"He's probably slipped out already. Thank you anyway, Kvasir." Thor gave a casual wave as he left. Steph blinked at the men as they left the pub.

"Weren't those two the ones…?" Steph started.

"Mhm," Kvasir replied.

"Thought so," Steph murmured to herself.

"Ahh, good, they left," the disembodied voice of Solis said from across the room. Steph jumped out of her skin.

"What the—?! I'd have thought you'd have run off by now," Kvasir murmured.

"Not true," Solis said, walking back over to Steph, leaving footprints in the dust on the pub's floor as he did so. "I must apologize properly to the little lady. It was never my intention to make you cry." He de-cloaked, and gave Steph a small bow. "Allow me to make a small peace offering."

Solis handed Steph a small bundle of arrows. "Fifty oridecon arrows, for the little miss to use however she feels fit."

Steph took the arrows reluctantly. "T-thank you…"

"Now I must say adieu. Adieu." And with that, Solis re-cloaked, and took his leave of the pub. Kvasir watched him leave with a snort.

"Good riddance to bad company."

Steph sighed, and was quiet for a moment. "Wasn't Trent a rouge?" Steph asked the Drop.

"Oh…yeah, he was…" Trent looked nervous. "Why?"

"Wouldn't he be a Stalker too, by now?" she asked.

"Oh, no, definitely still a rouge," Trent said with conviction.

"Why's that?"

"He doesn't like Stalkers," he admitted.

"Why not?" Steph asked, astonished.

"He finds them too…brash for him," Trent said, squirming. "He's rather stay a rouge, and be able to do as he pleases without anyone caring. They'd underestimate him that way, so he could take them by surprise."

"What an odd duck," Steph muttered.

—

The rest of breakfast happened without incident. Steph actually enjoyed the quiet, even though Trent seemed rather uncomfortable, and kept looking around him nervously, as if expecting something to happen.

"I need to have a nice breakfast like that more often," Steph sighed as she walked through the doors of the pub and into the daylight. "Otherwise I'll start suffering from indigestion."

"Good morning, little one," Yuko called cheerfully as she popped out in front of Steph from what seemed to be nowhere. Steph clutched her chest as her heart made a few upset murmurs.

"You scared me right out of my skin, Yuko-san," Steph gasped.

"Oh, so sorry," Yuko laughed good-naturedly. "It was not my intention to do so. I was actually coming to see if you would like to help me today…it will earn you a little money, and you can learn a few things. How about it?"

Steph looked at Yuko. The woman didn't seem to beat around the bush when it came to some things. Steph thought it over for a bit. It meant making some money, and she was very keen on doing that.

"Money, huh? Well…sure, I don't suppose that's a bad idea." Steph smiled.

"Good," Yuko said happily, clasping her hands together. "Now, follow me, and I'll get you set up."

"Set up, huh? Wonder what racket she's roped you into now?" Trent muttered darkly as they walked.

"As long as it isn't illegal, and makes me money, I have no qualms," Steph said.

—

Yuko had a rather large wagon at her disposal, which she lead Steph into a few minutes later. It was packed with every possible thing you could think of, but even so, was still cosy, and even inviting. Heavy perfumed scents hung in the air, and many rich materials hung about, giving the cart an exotic feel.

"This is a large cart, even for a merchant," Trent remarked.

"This is true," Yuko said offhandedly. "But I've been at it for a long while now, and have made quite a bit of zeny, enough to allow me to purchase this cart."

Steph caught a glimpse of a small room of sorts, where a small table was full of many glass containers and small burners. It looked like some kind of lab.

"Over here," Yuko called, waving.

Steph walked over to where Yuko was, and noticed a small trunk, which was open. Inside were many outfits, of many different clothes and colours.

"Are these yours, Yuk-san?" Steph asked, amazed.

"Indeed," Yuko replied proudly. "They are many outfits I have acquired on my travels. They were expensive too. Oh, here, this is for you to wear," she went on, and pulled out a uniform of sorts and handed it to Steph.

Steph held it up and gulped nervously. It was a rather sexy looking Kafra uniform. It had been heavily modified, of course, and was in a rich red colour, and accented with blacks and silvers. The accents were all silver as well, and seemed to be crosses and skulls.

"Uhh…Yuko-san…is this…?" Steph couldn't finish the question.

"Oh yes, isn't it charming? A girl near Kiel Hyre made that. Isn't it a darling take on the Kafra Company uniform? I think it's scrumptious myself." Yuko looked downright happy. "I'm letting you borrow it for today. So be careful with it."

"I…I can't wear this!" Steph sputtered. "It's far too sexy! And look how short it is!" Steph went red.

Yuko looked at Steph with a coy, almost calculating look. "Oh? Well then…I suppose that means you aren't right for what I had in mind after all…such a pity…"

"Huh?" Steph asked. Yuko had confused her.

"Want money? It's either wear that dress, or nothing at all," Yuko replied flatly, grinning even though her eyes seemed serious. It was a frightening look.

Steph cringed. It didn't seem like a very good thing to do, but she knew that Yuko was going to be stubborn about it, so she gave in.

"Alright, where can I change then?" Steph muttered dejectedly.

"What? You're too shy to undress here?" Yuko asked incredulously, as if the idea of changing in private was ludicrous. "It's just us girls, after all."

"And one obnoxious, perverted Drop, who I'm sure is male…or at least thinks it is," Steph corrected, pointing at Trent, who was grinning.

"Aww, c'mon Steph, go ahead. I'll be good. I promise, nothing lewd. Cross my garlet, and hope to dry up." Trent seemed to be enjoying the whole thing.

Steph frowned. He was a Drop after all, so she supposed there was probably nothing to worry about. Still, she was nervous.

She slowly unbuttoned her tunic, and started pulling it up and over her head, but as she began to do so, Trent piped up.

"Ba-da-da-dump," he hummed loudly. Steph frowned and looked at Trent over her shoulder.

Trent played innocent.

Steph tried again, but Trent pushed his luck for a second time.

"Ba-da-da-dump"

Steph gave a low, barely audible growl as she turned to look at Trent again, but he whistled innocently.

"Cut that out," Steph barked.

"Cut what out?" Trent replied, a picture of innocence. Steph sighed.

"No more humming, got it?"

"Clear as glass."

Steph started lifting her tunic for a third time, and a sharp whistle cut the air. Steph whirled around.

"THAT'S IT! EITHER GET OUT OR I'M FINDING SOMEWHERE ELSE TO CHANGE!" Steph snarled at Trent loud enough to rattle the windows.

"I swear I'm innocent," he countered, grinning.

Steph stormed into the small room with the beakers and tubes on the table, and slammed the door shut behind her. Yuko sighed.

"Now look, you got the poor dear upset…If she breaks a beaker, I'll boil you into juice." She grinned her sadistic grin at Trent again, who chuckled.

"No one can take a joke anymore…sheesh."

—

Steph stood by Yuko's stall a little while later, feeling mortified. The skirt on the dress was shorter than she had ever imagined, and she couldn't really bend over any, lest it slid up and her undergarments were exposed. She fidgeted uncomfortably, trying not to notice the stares of people who passed, and sweating heavily due to the bright sunlight, and the dark material, which was only intensifying the heat. She felt miserable, but tried to smile as a young woman came up to the stall to peek at the goods on display.

"W-welcome to the stall, Ma'am," she stammered nervously. "Do you see anything you like?"

Trent grumbled from his place under the cart's wheels, where he'd been chained. Steph had been forced into such measures after the blob had rolled right under her feet to peek up her skirt, and she'd tripped over him, knocking over a nearby cart of weapons. It had been a total mess, and she'd been absolutely mortified.

"I'm bored…undo this crummy thing so I can move around for a bit."

"No way," Steph shot at Trent, her eyes dangerous. "I can't risk another incident like earlier. Besides, I get enough looks from men trying to undress me with their eyes. I don't need you doing it too."

"Bummer," Trent griped. He pouted father under the cart.

"My, what a cute outfit!" a singsong voice came from Steph's side, and she turned to see Kvasir lifting a part of her skirt to take a peek. "What's under here, I wonder?"

KAPOW!

Steph elbowed Kvasir on the back of his neck, and he went down like a sack of potatoes. "What a freakin' pervert!" she stuttered angrily, her face the colour of crimson dye. Kvasir chuckled from the ground.

"Such a nasty hit from such a delicate flower."

Steph twitched. "Well, maybe if you hadn't tried to sneak a peek…"

"Where's the fun in that?" Kvasir chirped as he got to his feet, and brushed himself off.

Trent snorted. "Who wants to peek at that flat-chested tomboy anyway?"

A stress vein in Steph's forehead snapped violently, and she threw the closest heavy blunt object at the drop, which turned out to be old blue box. It hit Trent squarely in the face, and he flew back as far as the chain would allow him to, and squelched slightly. The box landed safely a few feet away, still completely sealed.

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Trent screeched after groaning for a few moments in pain. "You made me go to pieces! What a violent person! So unladylike!"

Steph gasped, both fearful and angered. She felt her lip tremble, and clenched her fist to keep herself from running over and stomping on Trent as he tried, quite literally, to pull himself together.

"Now, now," a voice said as a white hand reached down and retrieved the box Steph had thrown. "Let's not aggravate the shop girl. It's not good for business."

"Yuko-san," Steph breathed, relieved. "I apologize for my behaviour just now. It was…disgraceful."

Yuko laughed good-naturedly. "Never you mind, dear. I am quite certain others would have done the same thing had they been in your place. But remember," she cut in, her face becoming scary again. "If you break it, you bought it. And it's ten percent every ten days. Oh ho ho!"

Steph looked frightened. Yuko was a scary woman. Not to mention she was stingy as hell. Money seemed to be Yuko's only love.

"What kind of lesion are you giving Steph, making her work in this stall?" Kvasir asked good-naturedly, but his smile seemed false, and his voice was prodding. Yuko gave a hollow laugh.

"Why, market lessons. How else will she learn to make shrewd decisions when selling her goods? If I don't teach her this very important lesson, then just think of all the money she'd be losing."

Steph felt her confidence in Yuko get crushed under the woman's statement. _That evil woman is using me! I don't know who to be angrier at, her or me! And to think, I actually trusted that woman! What a—!_

"—Beach," Kvasir finished what he'd been saying to Yuko, and then glanced over at Steph. "Oh, uhh, did you want to go too?"

"Huh?" Steph asked, confused. She'd missed the conversation entirely.

"I was just saying to Yuko that a good place to train is the beach in Ayothaya," Kvasir explained. "You remember Somine? The gypsy from last night? She wanted you to have this." He handed Steph a couple of Kafra warp tickets. "I guess she wants to you train really hard." Kvasir grinned. "I think she took a shine to you."

Steph blushed. "Oh, uhh…" She fidgeted, and a piece of paper slipped out from between the tickets. Steph carefully crouched down, and picked it up. She then opened it, and read it.

_A little gift for you to use to further your training. Hopefully, you can put it to good use. Remember, what you make of yourself is entirely up to you. (Although I advise a way to heighten your already badass amounts of feminine charm.) And if you don't, I'll come and whip you into shape. Your friend, Somine_

Steph sighed. "That made absolutely no sense at all. What badass feminine charm is she referring to?"

"That's what I want to know," Trent grumbled.

Steph shot Trent a dangerous look.

"Training will have to wait," Yuko said to Steph. "You promised to help me here, and I don't think you'd be the type of girl to go back on your word, now, would you?" She flashed Steph a dangerous smile.

Steph shuttered. "But…but…it's not fair! Don't you have someone else to help you?"

Yuko sighed. "Well, perhaps, but…" She scratched her head.

"You mean you do?" Kvasir asked flatly.

Yuko nodded. "But really, she's not much help. I have her because she's adorable." Yuko turned to the cart, and called out to one of the windows near the back. "Oh Maru Moro! Come here, dear!"

A second or two later, a small Munak appeared at the door. She wore the usual red tunic and hat with the talisman the other Munaks wore, and a large wooden bat on her back, but instead of a long brown dangee like the others, Maru Moro had long hair in two colours, light lavender and candyfloss pink. The lavender hair was pulled back on her head into two long ponytails, while the pink hair was bound into two tight little bundles just below the brim of her hat on both sides. She looked truly bizarre, and Steph wondered how in the world the little Munak had come to look like that.

"Meet Marudashi Morodashi, or just Maru Moro, for short," Yuko said cheerfully, hugging the little Munak to her chest, and patting her on the head affectionately.

"That's a rather rude name," Kvasir muttered under his breath.

( To understand why Kvasir said this, you need to first understand a little Japanese. "Marudashi" and "Morodashi" are terms for indecent public exposure - more specifically, "Streaking" and "Flashing". Basically, her names are a sick joke of Yuko's.)

"Did…did you dress your Munak, Yuko-san?" Steph asked nervously. Dressing pet's was a pet owner's way of making their pet unique, and a common practice. However, Maru Moro's hair showed that Yuko-san was either bored or three cookies short of a dozen.

"Oh, indeed," Yuko said, grinning. "Isn't it adorable? I think she looks positively charming!"

Everyone laughed nervously, although they didn't know why, as nothing that was going on was funny.

"So, Yuko-san, when you said you had help, you meant Maru Moro then?" Steph asked.

"Yes, Maru Moro is helpful, but I'm afraid she's still not very good with things like helping me at the stall," Yuko explained. "Maru Moro prefers to stay inside the cart. She is, however, very good at locating things I have stored in there, and therefore her official job is the location of the things I need. However, she is unable to help with the stall, as the concept of money is lost on the poor dear."

"I…see…" Steph said slowly.

"Back to work now," Yuko said as she walked back up the stairs of the cart, with Maru Moro in tow. "I expect most of the things in my shop to be sold when we close later tonight. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Steph said with a sigh.

Kvasir scratched his head for a moment, and then seemed to remember something. "Oh, right. Ayothaya is dangerous, so it's better to go there with a party of people who are close to your skill level."

"A party?" Steph asked. "You mean, a large group of people?"

"Yeah," Kvasir said. "You can usually find people who will go, but it's a lot harder when you don't know anyone. You may have a hard time finding people to go with you."

Steph's stomach sank. _That's right…I don't know anyone here. And I doubt Yuko would go with me…_

"Would you come with me, Kvasir?" Steph asked hopefully.

"Sorry, sweetie, I'm a little too strong for you," Kvasir said, holding his hands up helplessly. "I've been training a long time, so the monsters in Ayothaya are a breeze for me. I'd end up doing all the work, and you'd end up not learning anything. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh," Steph said, crestfallen. "Thank you anyway."

"Don't worry," Kvasir said cheerfully. "I'm sure you'll find someone to go with you! Try not to look so down, okay?"

"I'll try," Steph said, her face cheerful, but her stomach in knots. She knew it was probably hopeless.

Kvasir flicked Steph's forehead with his index finger, and grinned at her. "Hey! I said cheer up!"

"Ow!" Steph said, rubbing the spot he's flicked her. "That hurt you know!"

"Well then, cheer up, and I won't do it anymore, got it?" Kvasir responded, sticking his tongue out and winking. Steph smiled despite herself.

—

The day went by in a blur. The things in the stall sold out quickly enough, but Steph was unable to find anyone to be in a party with her. She had begged almost everyone who had come by, but they had all turned her down. She felt rather depressed as she finished putting the cart away for the evening.

"Cheer up, or you'll trip on your lower lip," Yuko said, amused.

"How can I be cheerful if I can't find anyone who'll form a party with me," Steph said sullenly.

Yuko smiled at Steph, and handed her a small pouch. Steph found it was quite heavy, and opened it to see it was full of gold coins.

"10,000 zeny, your share of the day's earnings," Yuko replied.

Steph felt a little happier until she remembered that they'd made at least 50 times that amount over the course of the day.

_Cheapskate_, she thought bitterly.

"Dinner then?" Yuko asked. "I'll even buy you a drink."

"I suppose," Steph replied unhappily. She hadn't made any progress at all since she'd arrived in Prontera, and it was finally wearing her out. She shuffled into the pub behind Yuko, and slumped down at the table near the bar where Steph had eaten breakfast that morning.

"Don't look so down," Yuko said, nudging Steph. "You're young, and there'll be plenty of opportunities for adventure at some point or another."

"I just feel so inadequate," she muttered. "I can't find this Drops' owner, I can't form a party, and I'm constantly broke. My sister would laugh at me."

"I highly doubt that," Yuko murmured.

"Dinner time, is it then?" Kvasir asked the girls brightly. "Gosh, I see more of you two than I see my own family."

"Oh, you haven't been ostracized yet?" Yuko joked, grinning evilly.

"Funny," Kvasir replied dryly. "Just for that, I'll spit in your food."

"Maybe it'll taste better then," Yuko said. "Not that it actually tasted like anything before."

The two laughed heartily, but glared at each other in a dangerous way, and Steph felt a feeling of nervousness overtake her.

"Maybe you can get some info tonight," Trent said offhandedly. "They'll be more people in here tonight than usual."

"Why's that?" Steph asked.

"The next WoE event is this weekend," Trent explained.

"WoE?" Steph asked, confused.

"War of Emperium," Trent explained. "It basically means that all the guilds in the area will be fighting each other for the guild castles around here. If a guild destroys a castle's Emperium, they claim the castle as their own."

"Ahh, I see…" Steph replied, but she actually felt more confused than ever.

"Wait until you're a little bigger before you try joining a guild," Trent replied seriously. "It's not easy, you know. Most guilds hold grudges against other guilds."

"Really?" Steph asked. "Was Trent in a guild?"

"Nah," Trent replied. "He found the whole thing to be stupid. He sometimes rented himself out to certain guilds as a mercenary, but never actually joined one himself."

"Just being in a guild doesn't actually mean you have to participate in a WoE event," Yuko explained, leaning in a little. "I'm actually part of a guild myself, but never participate."

"You're in a guild, Yuko-san?" Steph asked.

Yuko nodded. "It's very small as it is, you see. But the members are quiet, and usually keep to themselves, so there aren't many fights to be pulled into." She sat back a bit. "The guild battles are usually the worst part."

"When that happens though, they usually settle it in the Stadium," Trent explained.

"The Stadium?" Steph echoed, confused.

"Yeah, the PVP Stadium. PVP stands for 'Player versus Player', meaning that it's a place for adventurers to fight each other, where they can guarantee there won't be any casualties. Some of the battles can cause quite a stir."

Steph frowned. "It seems like all people really want to do nowadays is beat each other up."

"Yeah, tempers run pretty hot here, but they set the Stadium up to keep people from fighting in the middle of the street, and really making a mess," Trent replied seriously. "Believe me, if that was to happen, a lot of people would die."

Steph shuttered. She was starting to miss the quiet town of Payon Village.

"You must be from Payon, am I correct?" Yuko asked after a little while. "You're an archer, after all."

"That's right," Steph replied. "I grew up there."

"What's it like?" she asked, curiously.

"Quiet," Steph said. "And kinda dull. Nothing ever happens there. Everyone is really friendly too. Most of us don't even lock our doors at night."

"Sounds like a nice place," Yuko said with a chuckle.

"What about you, Yuko-san? Where are you from?"

Yuko paused for a moment, and looked out the window. "Gonryun," she said finally.

"Isn't that a floating city?" Steph asked, amazed. "I've always wanted to see one of those!"

"Indeed," Yuko replied. "It does float on the clouds. However, like Payon, it's quiet and rather dull. The people of Gonryun are all friendly, but tourism as of late has started to make them a bit wary of outsiders. Still, it's really a booming economy, because Gonryun has a lot of artists and skilled craftsman. Our merchandise is in high demand all over Midgard."

"You must have really wanted to see the world, huh?" Steph asked.

"Yes, actually," Yuko said. "My family had been very against me leaving, but I had already decided not to let them stop me."

"I see," Steph said. Yuko did seem the type of person who would do whatever she wanted, with or without permission. Steph couldn't help but smile a little.

"I have a shop back home as well," Yuko said quietly. "I return there often, after travelling a bit. It's rather out of the way, so I don't get much business there, but it's nice to return there after being away for a long while."

"I should visit my sister often," Steph said quietly. "I'm sure she'll miss me."

"Home is important," Yuko said, looking at Steph. "So never forget where you come from, and return there after a while."

Steph nodded.

A small group of people entered the tavern at that point, and Steph realized it was a small band of adventurers who had just returned from a hard day of dungeon exploring.

"And then he kicked it in the head!" she heard one of the men say in a loud, cheerful voice. She saw it had come from a monk with a cheerful face, who pointed to a gunner to his left as he talked.

"Just up and kicks it! And I'm thinking, 'Why didn't he just shoot it?' So when I ask him, he goes, 'I was out of bullets.'"

Everyone burst into loud laughter, and Steph smiled despite herself. They all looked to be having fun.

"I realized later that I actually had another cartridge in my back pocket," the dark-haired gunner admitted sheepishly after the laughter had settled down.

The red haired knight next to him patted his shoulder. "You're so absent-minded sometimes."

Steph froze. She recognized the knight. It was the one from the woods, the one who had rescued her from the Vagabond Wolf. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Someone you know?" Yuko asked her.

"Y-yes," she stammered in a whisper. "I wanted to talk to him and thank him for his help earlier, but he'd already left! I can't believe I ran into him here!"

"It must be _Hitsuzen_ at work again," Yuko said with a smile. "Go over and talk to him."

"I can't do it," she balked. "I…I just can't do it."

"A little liquid courage might help," Kvasir said, setting a drink down in front of her. "A Tropical Sogart. I remembered you like them."

Steph went red-faced. "Oh…uhh…"

Trent was glaring at the knight with a dangerous look. Steph looked back and forth from her drink to Trent to the Knight, and then finally took a sip, and stood up. She walked slowly over to the knight, trying to breath in deep, slow breaths, but her breath kept catching as she drew it, causing her to breath rapidly and shallow. Her heart hammered at her chest so loudly, she felt like it might burst.

The knight turned to look at her as she approached, and she realized how different he looked with his visor lifted. He was very hansom, and his bright blue eyes contrasted his reddish-brown hair beautifully. Steph felt her toung dry up, and she swallowed, trying to get her voice back. The entire table had gone silent as she'd appoached.

"Uhhh….h-hello…" Steph stammered out weakly. The silence at the table was stifling, and Steph felt the urge to run away, as fast as she could, without looking back. She couldn't seem to get anything else out.

"Oh, hello!" The knight said, his face brightening. "Can I help you with something?"

Steph felt her face go redder. _Oh crap…he doesn't remember me._ The thought echoed in her head, and she felt dispair creep over her.

"I…uhh….w-wanted to…t-thank…"

"THERE HE IS!" a cry rang out scross the room, and a group of dancers bounded over to the knight, and began crowding around him. Steph was shoved roughly out of the way by a rather pretty one with blond hair and a teal uniform, who gave her a withering glance, and told her to, "Watch it!"

Steph stumbled back, a hurt expression on her face. The knight seemed absorbed by the gaggle of dancers, as if he'd completely forgotten all about her already. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, and she felt her stomach tighten painfully.

Plopping back down in her seat, she tried unsuccesfully to stifle a sob, but it ripped out of her throat anyway. Yuko looked at her sympathetically.

"There, there, you tried your best dear. Don't get discouraged."

"He looks like a real dog anyway," Trent added nastily. "He'd probably be a really mean guy, I bet. You're better off without him anyway."

Steph grabbed the drink and slammed the entire glass back in one gulp, shocking both Yuko and Trent. Steph slammed the empty glass down on the table, her face now angry as well as upset.

"That…that jerk! Ignoring me! And those stupid dancers! FEH! I bet I could dance ten times better than any of them! Give me a stupid uniform like that and I bet I'd be better than all of them! Stupid…" Steph wiped at her face with the back of her hand, and then turned towards the bar, and yelled, "HEY GET ME ANOTHER DRINK!"

—

The knight had turned when he saw Steph coming. He felt confused, and racked his brain. _Why would she be coming over here? Wait…she looks kind of familiar…_

"Oh hello!" he blurted out. "Can I help you with something?"

_Oh, real smooth,_ he thought to himself. _That was brilliant. Nice going. If you did know her from somewhere, she probably thinks you don't remember her…Real smooth._

The archer had squirmed uncomfortably for a second or two, and he realized she was probably shy. Finally, she spoke in a near whisper.

"I…uhh…wanted to…t-thank…"

"THERE HE IS!" a dancer had cried out, and the knight turned to see the dancers from Madam Rochette's School of Dance approach him at high speed.

_Oh crap, not them again…_ the knight thought to himself. _I can't seem to lose them!_

The dancers swarmed him, and he lost sight of the little archer in the confusion. He looked up at the dancers, smiling nervously, and trying his best to get them all off of him so he could breath.

"Ladies, ladies…enough of me to go around! No need to push!"

"Why do you keep avoiding us, hmm?" the blond dancer asked him, and he recognized her as Lydia, the head of the little gaggle. She was an ace dancer, but her personality was terrible. She treated everyone like dirt, especially people she felt were lower than her.

"Avoiding…I'm not avoiding you!" The knight replied nervously. "I've just been a little busy lately, that's all."

The knight looked around, but couldn't catch a glimpse of the archer that had tried to talk to him. He cursed silently under his breath. _I wonder what she wanted to say…it looked like it was important…Damn! She was kinda cute too…_

"Well, if you aren't avoiding us," Lydia said, sitting down in the Knight's lap. "Then let's spend time together right now, shall we?"

The knight sighed inwardly. It just wasn't his day.

—

After several hours, and countless Tropical Sogarts, Steph was very, very drunk. Her face was deeply flushed, and she was slurring her words. She was still rather upset by the incident that had happened earlier, and kept going on about what she should do about it.

"Th'se li'l sluts," Steph slurred, glaring at the group of dancers. "Stupid li'l floozies…I could dance…ten times better…than them, I bet…"

"Of course you could," Yuko said, rather drunk herself. She grinned at Steph, and pointed at her. "I bet you have fabulous dancing skills!"

"I do!" Steph said, slamming her hands down on the table, and getting up to her feet. "And I'll prove it! Right here, right now!" She crawled up onto the table, and got uneasily to her feet. Looking around the bar with an unfocused gaze, she called out in a loud voice at the dancers at the knight's table.

"Hey! You all think you're so great 'cause you're wearing those tiny li'l uniforms, and you got that perfect hair, and your pretty faces…well, I got news for you! I can dance too! And I bet I dance ten times better than you do! Now watch this!" And with that, Steph started to dance on the table.

It was a rather erotic dance, and a lot of the men in the room found themselves with bloody noses. The knight at the table couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from her, and he stared into her eyes, his cheeks flushed.

Steph's fingers traced over her body as she slowly began loosening her tunic, slipping one button after another loose, and prepared to take it off. Yuko grinned wider and wider the more buttons popped loose, and Trent stared up at her, transfixed. He was truly enjoying himself.

But just as Steph was about to start taking clothes off, she hooked her foot on her leg, and fell off the table and onto her head with a shriek and a loud thud.

There was silence for a moment, and then the pub was filled with loud laughter. Yuko leapt up, and helped Steph to her feet, but the mortified archer tore herself away from Yuko's grasp and ran out of the pub, slamming painfully into the doorframe as she did so.

The knight leapt to his feet, and tried to follow, but Lydia stopped him. "Let her go," the dancer said with a cold glare. "She did this to herself. Stay here with us, and let us show you a good time." The knight looked uneasy, as if he would push past her, but Lydia's cold glare stopped him dead, and he sat back down.

Steph ran for a few blocks or so before she tripped over her feet again and slammed into the cobblestones of the road. She got shakily to her knees, and then stumbled to her feet, racing over to a nearby pile of old broken boxes, where she promptly threw up.

She leaned over the debris, sobbing and hiccupping as she wiped her mouth off with the back of her hand. She couldn't believe she'd made such a complete fool of herself like that.

"Stupid…stupid, stupid, stupid…" She burst into hot tears, and curled into a ball, hugging her knees. "How could I have been so stupid…?"

—

Yuko got to her feet after being thrown off by Steph, and dusted herself off. "I guess she's got courage in there, it's just really buried." She grinned at Trent. "Think I can pull that part out of her?"

"That was your plan all along, wasn't it?" Trent asked flatly. "You wanted to try and make her a more confident person."

"That, and I wanted to see if she had what it took to be a Gypsy some day," Yuko said slyly. "I heard Gypsies have their own brand of luck. It may be just what she needs to counter that bad _Hitsuzen_ of hers."

"Maybe," Trent grumbled. "We should probably go look for her though…"

"Good idea," Yuko said. "That knight doesn't look like he'll get away from those dancers any time soon."

"Feh," Trent huffed, sounding angry. "Whatever. He's a creep anyway."

"Someone sounds jealous," Yuko said coyly.

Trent didn't answer.

"Let's go," Yuko said after a few silent moments, and exited the pub in a hurry, with Trent right behind her.

—

The knight at the table cast his glance desperately around the pub as Yuko left. He really didn't want to be there with the Dancers anymore, and if it meant escape, he'd gnaw his arm off. Unfortunately, gnawing his arm off wasn't going to help.

As he cast his glance to the bar, Kvasir caught his gaze, and the two nodded at each other. A signal had been passed.

"Hey, you gonna pay your tab?" Kvasir asked the knight in an annoyed voice.

The knight snorted. "Hey, not right now, okay. I'm busy."

Kvasir frowned. "Don't tell me I have to get ugly on you."

"Shut up!" Lydia yelled at Kvasir. "Can't you see we're busy? Now mind your own business, you nosy barkeep."

"Mind your own business," Kvasir mocked under his breath.

"You dare to mock a lady?!" the knight replied hotly, rising from his seat and gently pushing Lydia aside. He drew his sword, and pointed it at Kvasir. "Eat your words, cur, or you'll taste my steel!"

"Never!" Kvasir cried as he leapt over the bar, and began gathering energy in the palm of his hand.

"Then I did warn you, but…CHARGE ATTACK!" The knight leapt forward, disappearing from view, and re-appeared in front of Kvasir. He swung his sword down on Kvasir, but the mage sidestepped the attack. The knight stopped on a dime, and turned, running past Kvasir and towards the door, sheathing his sword in the progress.

"Thanks Kvasir, I owe you one," the knight called as he raced out the door and into the street.

Lydia blinked, and then realized what just happened. She leapt to her feet, and screamed at the door, shaking her fist. "You can't get away from me! I'll find you no matter where you run!"

"Oh, by the way," Kvasir said with a sly grin. "You gals have a tab to pay up."

—

Yuko finally came across Steph in an alley a few blocks down from the pub. The girl was miserable, and didn't look up or acknowledge Yuko's presence, even when the woman knelt down in front of her.

"You going to pout all night?" Yuko asked.

Steph didn't respond, and Yuko sighed.

"Look, I can understand how you feel. You're embarrassed, and probably upset and angry, but it'll pass, trust me. It always does."

There was silence for a moment, and then the knight from the pub ducked around the corner, pressed himself against the wall, and cloaked himself.

Both Yuko and Trent stared at the spot the knight was cloaked, until the knight uncloaked, and looked at them.

"Uhh…hi…" There was an awkward silence after the knight's statement.

"What a minute, you're that knight!" Trent blasted. He bounded over to the knight and got a scary glare on his face. "Who are you? What's your game? And where do you know Steph from, huh? You trying to take her away from me?! HUH?! Well, guess what? I SAW HER FIRST!!"

The knight stared at Trent with a blank face. "Uh…huh…"

"Forgive him," Yuko said bluntly. "He's jealous of you."

"I AM NOT!" Trent blasted.

"He feels you're going to take the person he cares deeply about away from him, so he's being defensive," Yuko went on.

"I AM NOT BEING DEFENSIVE!" Trent was almost beside himself now.

The knight looked embarrassed and nervous as sweat slid down his cheek. "Listen…I don't really know that girl…wait a second! It's can't be!" He pointed at Steph, flabbergasted. "It's that archer from before! The one that helped me defeat Vagabond Wolf! The one who shot me!" He plopped a fist into his open hand. "I knew she looked familiar!"

Trent growled menacingly at the knight, who looked down at him, curiously. "But I don't remember her owning a pet…"

"IDIOT!" Trent blasted. "We met in the Sogart Desert!"

"I see, I see," the knight replied, nodding. "Makes sense. So that means I met her first then."

"URK." Trent realized what the knight was saying, and he backed up, looking shocked. "You…you can't claim rights to her! She…she's MINE!"

The knight blinked a few times, confused. "Claim rights to her? I was just saying that I met her before you did…"

Yuko sighed, and looked over at Steph. She was fast asleep, her head buried in her arms. Yuko smiled wryly, realizing why Steph hadn't responded when Yuko was talking to her.

"You two, shut up," Yuko barked.

"Yes ma'am," the two responded, unnerved by her tone of voice.

Yuko stood up, and looked at the knight. "Can you carry her for me? I'm not sure I could, you see. I think she needs to rest in the inn."

"Of course ma'am," the knight responded, and carefully lifted Steph up in his arms, and followed behind Yuko as she walked back to the inn. Trent grumbled angrily as he followed some ways behind them.

"Feh, I'd carry her myself if I had arms…and legs…stupid tin can…"

—

The knight set Steph down on her bed, in her room at the inn. Yuko had left to arrange things with the innkeeper, and Trent kept hissing insults at the knight until he got fed up, and booted the orange blob out into the hall, and slammed the door shut. He sighed, and then realized he was alone in the room with Steph. The knight felt his face get warm, so he sat on the bed beside Steph, and brushed some loose hair out of her face.

"I, uhh, I just…I wanted to apologize," the knight said slowly. "For leaving and not telling you. It's just…I…I…Jeez, I'm not very good at this sort of thing…" He took a deep breath, and tried again. "I'm sorry about leaving you before you woke up that day in the forest. I had thought that the Topaz would make up for it...I didn't mean to be rude in the pub, it's just, those dancers...they're just spoiled brats who think because they look good they can get away with anything...They're quite a pain...Heh, lucky for them Somine hasn't caught them, they'd be in for a world of pain then..." He gently put his hand on Steph's head, and ruffled her hair, smiling softly. "You're a really nice person, Steph, and I really like being around you, but…" He paused as he looked at his left hand, and sighed. "I just can't…"

He stood up slowly, and looked at Steph with a pained expression. "I hate to leave again…especially since you didn't hear what I said…but…" He gave another sigh. "I know we'll see each other again. And when we do meet, you'll be even better than you are now. I just know it." He suddenly became serious. "Back when I first met you in Payon Forest, I thought 'what a clumsy archer, she's bound to get somebody killed' and didn't pay that much attention to you. But...when I saw you again back in the pub, I saw you for you really were; a timid, shy, cute young archer girl, who was experiencing the outside world for the first time, and honestly...I felt bad, and still do... bad about letting those Dancers walk all over you like that, and not saying anything about it. You were there first and had my attention first, and if there is anything, anything I could do to really make it up to you, I'd find a way to make it happen." He paused, and then sighed. "But…I have to go now…I'm sorry…" He walked to the door, and paused, his hand on the doorknob. As he opened it, he looked back at her, and then shut the door tightly behind him.

Steph's eyes opened as the knight left, but the tears were already streaming down her cheeks. She rolled over in the bed, and hugged her pillow as she stared at the wall.

—

NEXT CHAPTER:

Steph makes her first firm decision, and make her way to Ayothaya. The monsters may not be overly tough, but Steph is still young and inexperienced. Will the trip be disaster…or triumph? Plus, Trent keeps acting stranger and stranger. What is the Drops' problem? And will Steph ever master the subtle art of cooking? All in, _"Fly My Arrow of Truth! Straight Into the Heart of Adversity!"_


	5. Chapter 5 Fly My Arrow of Truth!

Gypsy Rose

Gypsy Rose

A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell

Author's Notes: Wow, last chapter was awesome! I really loved writing it! Lots of help from my editor that time though, as he almost single-handedly wrote the last section. Big props to Kuro for that. Anyway, I've got this whole thing almost totally planned out, but it's still a long way to go yet. For all the lRO people who actually read this, don't panic if you're cameo hasn't been introduced yet. This little roller coaster is just getting started. Also, if I have put you in already, and I portray your character wrong, don't hesitate to complain! I'm a human too, and I make lots of mistakes, so please tell me when I make them, because otherwise I will never learn! I'd also like to remind everyone that this fanfic is awesome to write, but as I'm about to actually begin my comic, _Akakami_, soon, this fic is gonna get updated a lot less. D: So sorry! Gomen Nasai!

Editor's Note: My Last note was a little joke and if you didn't like the Ending, and this opening, you can go SOD OFF THEN! I will poke her often to keep this up even if I have to do this and that.

Chapter Five –

Fly My Arrow of Truth! Straight Into the Heart of Adversity!

The knight set Steph down on her bed, in her room at the inn. Yuko had left to arrange things with the innkeeper, and Trent kept hissing insults at the knight until he got fed up, and booted the orange blob out into the hall, and slammed the door shut. He sighed, and then realized he was alone in the room with Steph. The knight felt his face get warm, so he sat on the bed beside Steph, and brushed some loose hair out of her face.

"I, uhh, I just…I wanted to apologize," the knight said slowly. "For leaving and not telling you. It's just…I…I…Jeez, I'm not very good at this sort of thing…" He took a deep breath, and tried again. "I'm sorry about leaving you before you woke up that day in the forest. I had thought that the Topaz would make up for it...I didn't mean to be rude in the pub, it's just, those dancers...they're just spoiled brats who think because they look good they can get away with anything...They're quite a pain...Heh, lucky for them Somine hasn't caught them, they'd be in for a world of pain then..." He gently put his hand on Steph's head, and ruffled her hair, smiling softly. "You're a really nice person, Steph, and I really like being around you, but…" He paused as he looked at his left hand, and sighed. "I just can't…"

He stood up slowly, and looked at Steph with a pained expression. "I hate to leave again…especially since you didn't hear what I said…but…" He gave another sigh. "I know we'll see each other again. And when we do meet, you'll be even better than you are now. I just know it." He suddenly became serious. "Back when I first met you in Payon Forest, I thought 'what a clumsy archer, she's bound to get somebody killed' and didn't pay that much attention to you. But...when I saw you again back in the pub, I saw you for you really were; a timid, shy, cute young archer girl, who was experiencing the outside world for the first time, and honestly...I felt bad, and still do... bad about letting those Dancers walk all over you like that, and not saying anything about it. You were there first and had my attention first, and if there is anything, anything I could do to really make it up to you, I'd find a way to make it happen." He paused, and then sighed. "But…I have to go now…I'm sorry…" He walked to the door, and paused, his hand on the doorknob. As he opened it, he looked back at her, and then shut the door tightly behind him.

Steph's eyes opened as the knight left, but the tears were already streaming down her cheeks. She rolled over in the bed, and hugged her pillow as she stared at the wall.

—

It was unclear how long she stayed in bed after the sun had risen the next morning, but Steph hadn't slept very well. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, and she covered her head with her blanket to block out the harsh morning sunlight coming in through her window. She gave a miserable groan, and rolled over, re-adjusting her blankets as she did so.

_What did I expect, really? I mean, was I expecting him to just say, "Hey, I really like you." I don't know…I just don't know anymore…_

A loud knock on her door made her start with shock, but she didn't answer. Instead, she buried her head farther into her pillows.

"Get up, Steph," Yuko's voice came through the closed door loud and clear. "You can't stay in bed all day, no matter how bad that hangover is. I'm in need of some stuff, so I'm taking a trip, and you're coming with me. C'mon! Up and at 'em!"

Steph sighed unhappily. Somehow, it just didn't seem worth it to get up out of bed. She curled up under the covers, and tried her best to go to sleep.

Yuko looked down at Trent, who was still sitting next to the door and against the wall, where he'd been all night. He looked just as sleep-deprived as Steph did.

"So, how do we get her out of there? Any ideas?"

Trent heaved a sigh, and moved towards the door with a slow, laboured hop. "Let me in there…I'll get her up. Trust me."

Yuko eased the door open, and the Drop bounced slowly over to the bed. With a great deal of effort, he managed to get up onto the bed, and wriggled underneath the covers. He wormed his way over to Steph's thighs, and began shoving himself up and under her tunic.

"You can't say we didn't warn you…" Trent muttered.

Steph screamed as the blob slid up under her tunic. "Oh my Gods, Trent! You're ice cold! GYAA!" She shot up in bed, and yanked the orange-coloured blob out of her clothes, and threw him towards the foot of the bed. He slowly recovered himself as Steph hastily re-adjusted her tunic with an angry face.

"Pervert!"

"Hey," Trent said. "It got you up right? Besides, you'd be freezing too if you slept outside in the cold all night." He yawned, and shook himself, trying to wake up more. "You can't blame me for wanting some human warmth and comfort, now can you?"

Steph felt slightly guilty about Trent sleeping outside. He hated the cold, and she did admit to liking having the warm little thing curled up with her at night. She sighed, defeated.

"No…I guess I can't."

Trent blinked, as if shocked how easily Steph had given into the point. He looked up into her face, his own expression worried. "Hey…you okay, kiddo? You don't look so good…"

"I cried all night…" Steph admitted. "Until I ran out of tears." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "I must look terrible."

"A little," Trent admitted. "I'm more worried about how you feel."

Steph smiled gently. "I'd almost think you were worried about me…"

Trent balked at the comment. "M-me? Worried?! NEVER!" He blushed deeply. "I-I-I just don't want my food supply to get depressed and forget to feed me, is all!"

Steph smiled again, a little wider. She knew Trent would never admit it, but he really had been worried. It made her feel a little better.

"Thank you, Trent," Steph said quietly, hugging the Drop to her chest. "I'm very lucky to have a friend like you."

Trent had gone very red, but seemed quite happy to be held, and simply closed his eyes and sighed happily.

Yuko threw the door open, causing Steph to jump. The woman's face had a giant grin on it. "Morning you two…ready for an adventure?"

Steph looked at Yuko worriedly. "This isn't another crazy money-making scheme, is it?"

Yuko waved Steph's comment off like a pesky insect. "Oh no, no, no, no, no. I just need to get a few things is all. I was planning on going to Ayothaya, and I thought you could get some training in while you were at it."

"I…see…" Steph seemed curious to know what 'things' Yuko would need.

"Anyway," Yuko continued. "If you did come with me, you'd have to help me advertise. So…you have two choices: This Kafra band, or these very well made black cat ears."

Steph thought about it for a sec, and decided on the kitty ears. She didn't want to admit it, but they were rather cute, and she had a bit of a fetish for fuzzy animal ears.

"The kitty ears, I guess."

"Good," Yuko said with a satisfied look. "Take these, and meet me by my cart in twenty minutes." She handed the young archer a pair of tights along with the ears, and departed the room with a wave.

Steph looked at the tights and made a small face. Yuko had stitched the name of her shop into the back of them. She sighed.

"Great…I'm a walking advertisement…"

"Look at it this way," Trent said with a tiny grin. "It's a free trip."

"True," Steph said quietly. She knew she wasn't going to do very well in Ayothaya without a party.

—

The Warp Agent in Prontera seemed as sleepy and bored as all the others Steph had seen in her short travels, but it was a fast trip to Ayothaya. She looked around the small town with it's stone buildings, and felt a slight case of nerves.

"Yuko-san…this place makes me uneasy…"

"Maybe," Yuko said with a smile. "It's a very seedy place, full of questionable goods. But it has some very high-quality merchandise, if you know where to look."

Steph looked around her, feeling even more nervous. "So…where do I train again?"

"Just follow the path in that direction," Yuko said. "You'll come across some old ruins. It's crawling with smaller monsters, so you should try to stay there. You'll get good training if you try to kill the leaf cats."

Steph looked a little unnerved. "Aren't they passive?"

Yuko nodded.

Steph frowned. "But…I can't attack something that wouldn't hurt me…it's…unethical…"

It was Yuko's turn to frown. "Dear, they're monsters. It's the same as killing an animal for food. You do kill animals for food, do you not?"

Steph sighed. "I know, but…"

Yuko shooed Steph away. "Go on…I'm going to be busy for a while."

Steph trotted off down the path towards the ruins, feeling slightly cheated. She didn't like killing things for sport, especially things that didn't attack people in the first place. She sighed unhappily.

"Life's going to be like this for the rest of it, isn't it?" She asked no one in particular.

"Oh believe me, it's a lot worse," Trent answered.

—

Steph sat in a bush near the entrance to a large ruin that a warp agent was guarding with a sleepy look. She tried to focus on the small leaf cats that were running around, and fitted an arrow into her bow with a small sigh.

The leaf cats were strange creatures. Small white cats clad in green leaves, they ran about in large numbers, pausing every now and then to groom and meow loudly. The noise they gave off was almost deafening, and Steph felt herself growing more and more annoyed as she sat there, eyeing up the little cats like a hungry wolf.

"You know," she said irritably. "If I kill them, they'll shut the hell up…"

"Do it," Trent replied with a wicked grin. "I never liked them anyway."

Steph aimed her bow at a nearby cat who had paused to groom, and let her shaft fly. It missed the cat by a country mile, and landed in a crack in the stones with a loud 'twang!' She froze, terrified, but the cats either hadn't noticed, or didn't care, and continued what they were doing peacefully.

Steph let out her breath all at once. "Wow…these things are so passive, it's almost stupid…"

"Yeah," Trent said, bouncing over and yanking the arrow out of the ground. "They aren't the brightest critters around."

"Oh…thanks…I could have got that," Steph said as Trent handed the arrow back to her. The situation felt awkward, and she blushed nervously, unsure of what to do.

Trent said nothing, but settled back in beside Steph as if nothing happened. Steph lined up another shot.

"Not sure why everyone told me I need a party here," Steph muttered. "These cats don't look so hard…"

A muffled whooping noise came from behind Steph, and she turned to see a large ape crashing through the trees towards her.

"That's why," Trent said dryly.

"GYAA!" Steph screamed, and took off in a run as fast as she could. The cats scattered as she dashed through the group of them, but the ape stayed on her tail.

"What is that?!" Steph yelled at Trent as she ran.

"A Wootan Fighter," Trent explained. "They're agro, unlike those dumb cats."

"Great," Steph complained. "Just what I need…"

The ape was slow, however, and Steph quickly outran it. She bent over, huffing and weezing for air in a clearing some ways away. Trent seemed a little winded as well, and looked back to see if the ape had followed.

"It's all clear…but I recommend keeping an eye out from now on."

"Feuf," Steph said as she straightened up again. "That thing had me scared for a second…"

"Me too," Trent admitted. "Those things can be mean on solo hunters. They hit hard, and hit often."

"Good thing to keep in mind," Steph muttered.

A hissing noise came from somewhere near her feet, and she looked down to see a very large beetle coming straight at her, its large jaws wide open. She screamed again.

"Shoot it! Shoot it you idiot!" Trent yelled.

Steph fired a wild shot at the beetle, but it bounced off its hard shell. Steph backed up a few more steps, until she worked up enough courage to bring her foot down heavily on the beetle. There was a squelching noise, and the beetle burst open in a gush of purple ooze. Steph made a face.

"Gross…I got it on my boot."

Trent heaved a sigh. "Those things are agro too. And meaner than hell. They bite hard and fast, and it's hard to loose them."

"I hate this place," Steph announced as if that was a new development.

"Me too," Trent admitted. "But the experience you gain here is amazeing. People master their skills here so fast it makes their head spin."

Steph sighed. "I'm not learning much."

"You can't hit an arrow with the broad side of a building," Trent argued. "Your aim sucks. Face it."

Steph made a face. "I know it sucks…But it isn't as easy as it looks."

A leaf cat shuffled into the clearing from behind a bush at that moment, and Steph ot the insane gleam in her eyes she got when she was battle-crazed.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty…let me pet you with my dagger…"

—

Yuko sat on the stoop of a shop in town a while later, looking over the small bags she had bought. The man she'd purchased them from counted his zeny with a happy face.

"That should last you a month…knowing you though, and the way you smoke, it'll be gone in two weeks." The man smiled. "But you pay well, so no worries."

Yuko grinned as she filled her long thin pipe with a black substance, and lit it. She took a drag of her pipe, and blew out thick, white smoke, and sighed blissfully. "I don't mind paying a litle extra for the good stuff."

"True, true," the man said. "The cheap stuff curls your toes. That stuff smells like crap too."

"Tastes worse," Yuko admitted. "It's worth the time and money to come all the way here to get this good stuff."

"By the way," the man said curiously. "You came with a friend, right? Where did she go?"

Yuko grinned. "Off to play in the ruins with the cats."

The man chuckled. "Ahh, another adventurer, huh? We have had several recently. In fact, we had a couple of ladies in here this morning."

"Huh," Yuko heaved, as if it was amusing. "Maybe she'll run across them in her adventures."

—

Steph sorted through the odds and ends the leaf cat had dropped. "Let's see…a lemon, a shrimp—Oh hey! I love shrimp!" Her eyes lit up. "Maybe I'll have enough at the end of the day for a decient shrimp dinner."

"You'd share, right?" Trent asked with pleading eyes.

Steph snorted. "No way, José. My shrimp."

Trent pouted. "Greedy."

Steph stuck out her tongue. "You have no idea how much I adore shrimp."

Trent grumbled and rolled his eyes as Steph continued looting the body of the leaf cat for things to either sell or keep.

As Trent poked around a bush for anything interesting, he heard a loud, huffing noise, and looked up to see the Wootan Fighter the pair had run away from earlier.

"Uhh, Steph…?" Trent said, backing up. "You might want to turn around…"

"Busy," Steph muttered back, disinterested.

"This is kind of important," Trent replied, his voice becoming strained.

"It can wait until I'm done," Steph replied back, annoyed. She glanced over her shoulder, and barely had time to gasp as the Wootan swung its arms, and knocked her unconscious.

Trent gave a squeal of panic as he bounded out of the ape's way. "Oh great! Look what you did, you hairy oaf!" He growled deep in his throat, and half-bounced, half-rolled over to Steph, still avoiding the Wootan Fighter's heavy treed. "Hey!" The Drop did its best to try and wake his unconscious friend up. "This is no place to have a nap!"

The Wootan Fighter gave a loud, angry whoop, and turned around to pound the unconscious girl with his massive arms. Trent looked up, realizing there wasn't anything he could do, and groaned inwardly.

_I knew I should have just crawled back into bed today…_

The Drop cringed, and braced for the impact that he knew was coming. However, it never came. A sharp whistling sound came from somewhere past the bushes, and a steel shaft buried itself deep in the Wootan's forehead. The ape gave a surprised grunt before it toppled over backwards, and landed on the forest floor with a thunderous 'thud'.

Trent pried his eyes open, and stared at the ape in shock. He gave a whistle of admiration as he noticed the shaft's precision. "Now _that_ is how you shoot an arrow." He turned around, grinning with relief, and began bouncing towards the shooter.

"Wow, that was a fantastic shot; a real sign of marksmanship. Now if only Steph was half as good as—" The Drop suddenly cut himself off, and became pale as a female sniper stepped out of the bushes.

She was very pretty, with her long, blond hair, and clear eyes. She wore a simple sniper's uniform of green and white, which was covered in dust from the woods. She brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, and looked down at the trembling Drop with interest.

"What have we here? A pet?"

Trent gave a scream of terror, and tore off into the woods, leaving the sniper standing in shock and confusion.

"Was it something I said?"

A young girl stepped out of the underbrush beside her. "He looked positively terrified, Feena. What did you do?"

Feena frowned. "Nothing!"

The girl beside her was a young priest, garbed in a simple pale blue-and-white uniform. She had long, platinum hair, and, strangest of all, a pair of bunny ears poking out the top of her head that twitched at every little noise.

The pair of girls looked at each other oddly now, rather puzzled at Trent's behaviour. They were, however, attracted to Steph's moans as she woke up.

"Are you alright?" the sniper named Feena asked Steph.

"Yeah, I think so," she said. "What hit me?"

"A Wootan Fighter," the priest said. "You have to be careful when you're here alone. They can take you by surprise."

Steph made a face, rubbing her head. Suddenly, she sat up straight and looked around wildly. "Trent! Trent, where'd you go?"

"Easy," the priest said. "You got a nasty blow. Here, let me." With that, the young priest held her hands to Steph's injury, and a soft glow suddenly enveloped her hands, healing the injury swiftly. Steph blinked.

"T-thank you," she blushed nervously.

"It's alright," Feena said. "I'm Feena, and this is Bunny. We're training here, and we happened to notice you needed help."

Steph bowed thankfully. "I'm sorry to be a burden."

"No trouble at all," Bunny said cheerfully.

"Oh, so that Drop was yours then?" Feena asked.

"Well, yes. No, actually, well…it's a long story." Steph sighed.

"Well, in any case, it took off towards the ruins," Feena informed Steph. "It looked panicked, for some reason."

Steph sighed. "Fantastic. Just what I need." She picked up her bow and bags, and thanked the girls again. "I should go get the little bugger back."

"Glad we could help," Feena said, waving. "Take care now."

Steph waved as she disappeared into the bushes in the direction Trent ran off in.

Bunny and Feena watched her go. "So, now what?"

Feena scratched her head. "You know, it's crazy, but that name…sounds familiar. Something's bugging me about this. And in any case, that kid's pretty green. I think maybe we should tag along and see if we can help. You know, just to waste some time."

Bunny pulled a container of carrot juice out of the folds of her tunic, and started sipping in happily. "Sounds good to me."

Feena stared at Bunny, and sighed. "I'll never get you."

—

Trent paused by the entranceway to the ruins, gasping for air. He had bounded almost a full mile through the woods on pure panic, and he was exhausted.

He was aware of Steph's footfalls behinds him some time later, but he was too miserable to look up.

"Hey, you. That was nice of you, to run off and leave me there like that. I'm lucky Bunny and Feena came along, or who knows what would have happened."

Trent didn't look up as she tore into him.

Steph frowned. "Look, I know you don't like to battle. And I know that you run the first chance you get. But honestly, can't you at least _try_ to have a spine? Oh, I know, physically impossible for you and all, but still—"

"Can you just shut up?" Trent interrupted with a cold tone of voice.

"Huh?!" Steph retorted, confused.

"I didn't abandon you," Trent went on, still in an icy tone. "I stayed right there with you, even when I was going to be seriously hurt. Maybe if you weren't such a _klutz_ and _listened_ to me now and then, you wouldn't _need_ rescuing all the time." His tone got more heated as he continued. "I'm getting sick of bailing you out, and trying to help your ungrateful ass all the time! You never stop to think about how _I_ feel! It's always, you, you, you! Well, I've had it!" He spun around, tears clinging to the corners of his eyes. "I don't need you! You _obviously_ don't need me! I'll find Trent on my own!" He tore off into the ruins before Steph could say anything else.

Steph stared off after the Drop, confused. It had suddenly occurred to her that maybe Trent was right. She had just assumed Trent was only in it for himself. But lately, he had been a lot friendlier, and he'd definitely been trying to do more for her. She felt a stab of guilt. _He just wants to find his friend…and I'm acting like the ass here. What an idiot I am…_

"Trent!" Steph called as she dashed into the ruins after him. "Wait!"

Bunny and Feena watched her go, and the sniper shook her head. "This won't end well. What a couple of idiots…"

Slurp! came from Bunny as she drank some more of her carrot juice.

"Will you cut that out?" Feena hisses, annoyed.

"But it's so good," Bunny mumbled defensively around the straw in her mouth.

Feena sighed, and rolled her eyes. Bunny slurped again.

—

Steph regretted running off inside the ruins without any idea of where she was going. The entire inside of the ruins were a labyrinth of the worst kind, and Steph got lost very quickly. Her infamously poor sense of direction wasn't helping her at all, and it only got worse when a Whisper came out of nowhere and spooked her, sending her screaming off into another direction, further into the maze.

She walked around for what seemed like hours until she was tired, and plopped down against a wall to rest. She groaned and put her head on her knees, wondering if she was going to die in the dirty labyrinth. She reasoned that she probably deserved it, seeing as how she'd been so mean to Trent and all…

But then again, he had blown stuff out of proportion. He tended to do that when he was mad. She sighed. She realized suddenly that despite his snarky comments and rude behaviour, she missed him.

She lifted her head when she thought she heard something. Straining to listen, she realized she heard the sounds of music being sung. She scrambled to her feet, and carefully edged forward, until she saw a large clearing in the stone pathways.

There, sitting against a large tree-like plant, was a young girl, clothed all in white, singing sweetly to a crowd of chattering monkeys. They were playing with each other, and waving around large woven baskets as if they were cymbals. She peered closer, and noticed a large orange blob amongst them.

Steph wanted to call to Trent, wanted to scoop the blob up in her arms and hug him, thankful he was safe, but the music was transfixing. Before she realized it, she was rooted to the spot, mesmerized by the hauntingly sweet melody.

_Snap out of it!_ she told herself. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and stumbled back a step as she did so. A loud snap sounded as a twig broke under her heel.

Steph went pale and froze in fear. The white girl gasped as stopped singing abruptly, and her, the tree, and all the little monkeys vanished in a bright white light.

Trent seemed to come to his senses as the girl vanished. He looked around him, confused, and spotted Steph. Their eyes met, and for a second, Steph was scared he'd run off again in an angry huff. But he simply blinked a few times, and bounded over to her, smiling.

"Hey! Where have you been?"

Steph began to sniffle, and suddenly, without warning, started to bawl. Trent looked startled, and jumped back.

"Whoa! What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

"You…you _idiot_!" Steph bawled, falling to her knees and hugging the Drop to her chest. "I was really scared when you took off like that! Don't ever do that to me again!"

Trent's eyes softened as he realized what was going on, and settled into the hug with a soft sigh. "Okay, I promise. Shh, no more tears, okay? That's a good girl…"

Steph's sobs trickled off into sniffles as she hugged him to her chest.

—

Somewhere off in the darkness, a soft, "Aww" escaped the two girls.

—

"I think I came from this direction," Steph said, pointing down a path.

"No way," Trent said, shaking his head. "It was definitely this direction."

Steph sighed, looking around. "This is ridiculous. We're more lost now than we were a little while ago."

Trent sighed. "I can't say this is all your fault. It's mine too."

Steph was quiet. "Well, now what?"

Trent sighed louder this time. "To be honest? I have no idea."

"Fantastic."

Feena sighed. "Those two are hopeless. I guess I have to help them."

Bunny clutched Feena's arm. "No! Let me do it! If you get into trouble, I can't back you up! I don't specialize in offensive magic."

Feena sighed. "You have a point."

Bunny darted off towards Steph and Trent, waving her arm and calling. "Hello again! Need a hand?"

"Oh! Bunny!" Steph called back. "I can't believe our luck!"

Trent grumbled under his breath.

"You must have gotten lost. These passages are old, and very few know them well. But I have a map, so we'll be okay!" Bunny held up the map with a grin. "I got it from that nice lady at the entrance!"

Steph felt like a fool, and wished she'd thought of that.

"Anyway," Bunny went on, "We'll be fine, as long as we—ahh!" Bunny tripped going around a corner, and slammed into the girl in white, who had been sitting there.

The girl suddenly burst into tears, rubbing the bump Bunny had given her on her forehead, and all the monkeys charged Bunny all at once, chattering angrily. Bunny screamed, terrified, and Feena dashed forward, ready to protect her from them.

One of the monkeys knocked Bunny's carrot juice away from her, and the container shattered on the ground. Bunny watched as the orange liquid seeped into the dirt floor with a whimper.

There was silence suddenly, and Steph felt the hairs on her neck prickle. Feena grabbed Steph by the waist, and snagged Trent up with her other arm, and took off at a dead run for the entrance of the maze.

"What's going on?" Steph asked, panicked.

"You don't want to know," Feena replied, grimly.

Steph looked back before they turned a corner to see Bunny rising to her feet, her hair and ears turning black. She was trembling with rage, and her angry snarls echoed off the stone walls.

"YOU…BROKE…MY…JUICE CONTAINER!!"

"Oh shit," Feena muttered under her breath.

The entranceway to the maze was within sight as Bunny screamed her incantation. "HOLY LIGHT!"

The force of the blast threw the three adventurers clear out the doorway. They landed on the stones outside, grunting from the force of the landing, as the roof of the ruins was blown sky high. The blinding light of the attack faded off as chunks of stone and other debris rained down on what was left of the maze. Steph stared at the destruction with a disbelieving face.

"That wasn't my fault. _Totally_ not my fault."

Out of the debris stepped Bunny, completely unharmed, who looked a little proud of herself. She rummaged through her robes, and pulled another container of carrot juice out, which she opened and began to sip happily.

Slurp!

—

Steph trudged back into town a bit later, with Trent, Feena and Bunny all in tow. The two girls smirked at Steph as they walked, as if sharing some secret amongst themselves.

"What's so darn funny?" Steph muttered to herself.

Looking up, Steph sighed as she spotted Yuko waiting for her. She waved at the older woman tiredly, and Yuko smirked.

"So, did you learn much?"

"Umm, kind of," Steph said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, there was this thing that happened…"

"I blew up the ruins," Bunny said proudly.

"Dork," Feena muttered, giggling. "You're not supposed to be proud of that!"

"Oh, right," Bunny said, growing instantly serious again.

Steph looked at Bunny nervously. The girl seemed normal again. Her ears and hair were both white like before, and she was giggling and laughing.

She shivered. Yet another person not to get mad.

Yuko shook her head and sighed. "Well, that's no excuse for being so late. Do you know what time it is?"

Steph sighed. "No."

Yuko clicked her tongue. "Well, you'll have to make it up to me. I have some work you need to do for me tomorrow in Einbroch, and I have _just_ the outfit for it."

Steph groaned loudly. "No, Yuko, please."

Maru Moro hopped out of the cart, holding up a bunny girl outfit that Steph could see was at least a size too small for her.

"Yuko-san!! PLEASE!! Not that! Anything but that!!"

Yuko just laughed a shrill, evil laugh. "Those are the rules, dear. Unless you'd rather go _naked_?"

Steph groaned, and tore at her hair. Life wasn't playing fair.

—

"Kvasir, I need some supplies."

The barkeep looked up, surprised, as the young archer stood by the back door to the kitchen of the bar, looking tired and dishevelled. He looked at her curiously.

"Supplies? At this hour? And what happened to you, exactly?"

"It's a long story," Steph admitted. She handed Kvasir a list. "Yuko needs these items. She says she'll pay you back for them."

Kvasir read over the list quickly, and looked at Steph. "You're gonna cook?"

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"It says here," he pointed out, "That you're going to be cooking lunches for the workers of Einbroch tomorrow."

"WHA—AAT?!" Steph Blasted, snatching the paper back from Kvasir, and scanning it in a panicked manor. "THAT WITCH! HOW COULD SHE?! First the outfit, now this?!" She moaned.

Kvasir sighed. "I assume," he said, "That you need some help."

Steph nodded sullenly.

Kvasir was quiet for a moment. "Get in here," he told her, opening the door wider. "I'll teach you."

Steph stared up at Kvasir with wide eyes. "T-thank you…thank you so much…"

"You can thank me," he added with a smile, "By making me lunch too."

The door swung shut behind Steph, and didn't open again until far into the afternoon of the next day.

—

NEXT CHAPTER:

The City of Steel, Einbroch. Like a great metal scar across the world, it stretches for the sky, shrouding its inhabitants in a cloud of smog. Dreams are made, and some are broken. Bonds form, and others are strained to the breaking point. What happens to us when those we trust become our worst foes? Next chapter, _Rivets, Bolts, and Bullets_. Be sure to be there.


	6. Chapter 6 Rivets, Bolts, and Bullets

Gypsy Rose

**Gypsy Rose**

**A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell**

Author's Notes: I'm so sorry for not writing more sooner. I took a break from online MMORPGs for a bit, including LotusRO, and thus I got out of the loop. My comics ate up my life. . I still love you guys, really, but I'm tired from work so often, I'm drained. –Is beaten and flogged- So here's to more chapters. Hopefully.

Editor's Note: -The editor was feeling ill so I sent him to bed. No Editor's Comment's this time. Sorry. – The Author -

Chapter Six – Rivets, Bolts, and Bullets

Kvasir looked up at the sleeping archer who was sitting at the counter of his kitchen, and sighed. It had been a long night for the both of them, and he was exhausted. But he couldn't sleep yet. There was still far too much to do.

He didn't want to wake Steph up. She sat at the counter with her cheek pressed up against the stone top, her bangs falling over her face, and her arms curled around her head, snoring softly. She was even drooling a little. The whole effect was cute, in some sweet little girl way, and Kvasir couldn't help but smile to himself.

"Wake up, Steph," Kvasir said with a sigh as he shook her by the shoulder. "C'mon, wake up. You have lunches to make still."

Steph mumbled incoherently, and Kvasir shook her harder.

"No Umi-chan, I don't wanna get up get. The firewood can wait…"

Kvasir paused abruptly, and sighed, depressed. "Poor girl, she's worn out. She's probably not really ready to be an adventurer yet." He stood up straight and shook his head. Then he took his cloak off, and laid it over her shoulders.

"She deserves a little longer, I think."

—

The night before had been interesting. Steph had brought a note to Kvasir from Yuko, asking him to teach her how to cook. Steph was required to make lunches for 500 workers in the city of Einbroch by the next day, and Yuko had an inkling that Steph couldn't tell a spoon from a scoop. Steph admitted to Kvasir that Umi had done all the cooking back in Payon, so she wasn't very experienced in it.

"Didn't she try to teach you?" Kvasir had asked.

"Yes," Steph said hesitantly. "And she told me never to try again."

Kvasir blinked. Umi had been described to him as a sweet, gentle, kind, compassionate girl who had infinite patience, especially with her sister. And this same girl had told _her own sister_ never to cook, or attempt to do so, ever again?

It sounded bad right from the get-go.

Steph proved to Kvasir how bad she was when she failed the simplest of tasks: boiling a pot of water.

She _somehow_ managed to set the water aflame. (How this is possible, we still aren't sure.) Kvasir looked at the flustered archer, and wondered whether or not Umi had been right. _She can't be that bad…can she?_ Kvasir wondered to himself.

Steph then cut her hands repeatedly with the knife when Kvasir tried to show her how to dice things properly, burned her hands on the stove, and singed her ponytails on the open flames. She dropped, and broke, several dishes, and then cut her hands again on the broken shards when she tried to clean them up in her panicked state. When Kvasir asked her to bring some liquid on the stove to a simmer, she boiled it over, making a huge mess. She also had difficulty trying to cut open a lemon, as she was unable to grasp the delicate technique that is required to slice through the tough skin. Instead, she got frustrated and jabbed it with the knife tip, spraying herself in the face with stinging juice.

_Okay_, Kvasir thought to himself. _She really is that bad_.

Steph sat on the stool by the counter and tried not to cry. Her hands had many bandages on them from all her cuts and burns, and she stared intently at them with watery eyes.

"I'm a failure," she said, her voice quavering.

"No you aren't," Kvasir tried to argue, grasping for a reason why she wasn't a failure. "You just need more practice, that's all."

Steph bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. "Stop trying to make me feel better. It's not helping. I know I'm a failure, so just say it."

Kvasir sighed. "I'll admit, you're a bit of a hopeless case. But—" Kvasir interjected quickly to prevent her from saying something else self-abusive. "Yuko is being unreasonable. I cannot teach you how to be a fantastic cook in one night. No one can do that. No one can learn that quickly. It simply isn't feasible. So, since we know your weak points, let's try something that doesn't involve them, how about that?"

Steph sniffled, and nodded.

"Good," Kvasir said. "But let's have a break first. You're tired, and it's late. I'll make you some tea, and we'll have a nice break. And then we can get to work making something."

—

Kvasir's break had turned into a nap for Steph, and Kvasir almost passed out himself. He snapped awake, and realized it had been several hours. He stood up, rubbing his eyes, and looked up at the sleeping archer who was sitting at the counter of his kitchen, and sighed.

—

A few more hours later, and dangerously close to dawn, Kvasir finally managed to shake Steph awake. She looked up at him with bleary eyes, and asked what time it was.

"A quarter after four," he replied.

"YIPE!" Steph yelped. "We're running out of time!"

"That's my fault," Kvasir admitted sheepishly. "I nodded off myself for a bit."

"We have to get started," Steph said, panicked.

"Calm down, first of all," Kvasir said sternly. "Panic will only hinder the progress. Understand?"

Steph nodded.

"Good," Kvasir said. "Now, let's see here. Yuko wanted either Bomber Steaks or Clam Soup for the lunches, but I personally think she's loco." He looked at the note with disgust. "I think we need to make something…with a little less prep work."

Steph looked at Kvasir nervously. "Like?"

Kvasir smirked to himself. "I have _just_ the recipe to try."

—

"So, let's see here: Bread, Royal Jelly, meat, strawberry, cheese, sweet sauce and some spicy sauce. Is that everything?"

Kvasir nodded. "Yeup, that's everything you need."

Steph smiled a little. "You know, this doesn't seem too hard."

"It shouldn't be," Kvasir said. "There's no real cutting or boiling involved."

"Huh," Steph grunted excitedly. "Well, then, let's get cooking."

Kvasir watched Steph with amazement. The girl made the entire dish by herself, with very little, if any, help from him. She stood back a while later, amazed with herself.

"They look so good!" She beamed. "And I did it all by myself."

"I'm proud of you," Kvasir said, patting her on the shoulders. "See? And you were so negative earlier."

"I guess I really _can_ cook after all," Steph giggled happily. "Thanks Kvasir. You're the best."

Kvasir grinned. "Kiss the cook?"

Steph smirked, and pecked him lightly on the cheek.

Kvasir sighed, but he was still smiling. "Oh well, good enough."

A knock on the door announced Yuko's arrival, and Kvasir walked over to let the woman in. She smiled at Steph as she entered, looking rested and immaculate in her simple, but beautiful robes.

"Good Morning, little one," she said cheerfully. "How went the lesson?"

"Rather well," Kvasir said. "As you can see." He waved his hand towards the finished meals Steph had prepared.

Yuko blinked in surprise. "Oh…Special Toast…did you really make this?" She turned to look at Steph, surprised.

"Yes," Steph said, squirming. "I know it isn't much, but it was all I could make."

Yuko said no more, only nodded. "Very good. We'll take these to Einbroch then. Get them packed up and ready to go, you two."

And with that, she left the kitchen, and the two exchanged looks.

"She seemed quieter than usual," Steph commented.

"So it would seem," Kvasir agreed quietly. "But I'll get these packed up for you. You should really get cleaned up for the trip."

"I should," Steph replied gratefully. "Thank you for all your help."

"It was no trouble," Kvasir said with a smile.

Steph dashed out of the kitchen of the pub, and Kvasir sighed.

—

Steph fidgeted in the one-size-too-small outfit Yuko had forced her to wear. The shiny, black suit squeezed her body tight enough to make it hard to breath. She felt miserable, and wondered if there was any way to get out of the outfit without upsetting Yuko.

"And let's not forget the ears," Yuko said with a smirk, plopping the bunny band onto Steph head. She sighed, unhappily.

Trapped.

"I feel like I work in some shady bar somewhere," Steph complained quietly.

"I got this from the casino in Comodo," Yuko said with a frown. "I can assure you, it is not 'shady'."

_Says you_, Steph thought bitterly.

"Anyway," Yuko went on, "We have lunches to deliver to hungry workers in Einbroch. So let's get going."

"Wait," Steph said. "Can't I ride in the cart until we get there?"

Yuko grinned. "No."

There was an uncomfortable pause as Steph let the reality of the situation sink in. She was going to have to walk though Prontera. Dressed like this.

Steph wailed like a wounded animal.

Yuko let out a high pitched, cackling laugh. "Oh come now, dear. You look positively scrumptious! Why be shy? Show them all what you have!"

"EVIL!" Steph screamed. "YOU LIVE TO TORTURE ME, DON'T YOU?!"

"Let's go, or we'll be late," Yuko said without missing a beat, turning to walk towards the warp agent, and signalling to Maru Moro to begin pulling the cart.

"HEY! Don't ignore me!" Steph wailed.

Eventually, Steph realized there was no point in arguing. She walked as quickly as the outfit would allow her to, her head down, and her face the colour of scarlet dye.

She could hear murmurs from the people around her, some sounded positive, some negative. A sharp, piercing whistle erupted every now and then, and the sounds of husbands being slapped loudly punctuated the air. Steph's head sank lower and lower down, too embarrassed to look up now.

Because of this, she ran smack into Yuko when she paused before the warp agent.

"Here," Yuko said, handing her a flu mask. "Put this on."

Steph blinked in surprise, and put on the flu mask. "Is the air really that bad there?" she asked.

Yuko slipped on a gas mask. "No, not really."

Steph made a face of absolute disbelief. _She can't be serious. Can she?_

"Hey!" Trent yelled from inside the cart. "What about me? I don't want to get sick you know!"

"There's a small mask in there you can use," Yuko said disinterested, waving off the question as if it were a fly.

Silence for a moment, and then Trent hopped out, wearing a small gas mask. "This smells like a Chonchon used it last."

"Exactly right," Yuko replied flatly.

"Eww," Trent said simply.

—

Einbroch was a terrible place. The air was hazy and thick with pollution, and the factories that were spread out around the town belched out more and more every hour. Steph could feel herself gagging through the flu mask. It prevented her from breathing in the pollution, but it could do nothing for the smell.

The tall buildings that were the heart of Einbroch stretched towards the sky, and Steph had to lean back and crane her neck to see them all.

"Eyes forward," Yuko said to her. "Or you'll trip."

"R-right," Steph stammered, running to catch up with Yuko, her fancy shoes clicking on the cobblestones of the streets. Many people walked here and there, all wearing facemasks. Most of them carried shovels or picks.

"The mines and factories make up 80 of the work here," Yuko explained, her voice muffled behind her mask. "Unfortunately, the air has become rather unbreathable here as a result."

"This is horrible," Steph murmured. "Why can't they just leave?"

"This is their home," Yuko said simply.

Steph was quiet.

"Over there," Yuko said, pointing. "That factory is the biggest one here. The workers there need to be fed, so get to work distributing those lunches. Don't forget the ones working in its mine either."

"I won't," Steph said, picking up the bundles of lunches with a sigh.

"Have fun," Yuko said, smiling. "I'll be waiting for you at the pub."

"It's not even noon yet," Steph grumbled angrily. "And you're already going to the bar?"

Yuko simply waved at Steph over her shoulder as she walked off, and Steph trotted over to the factory. She stared up in amazement at the sheer size of it all.

"You must work for Yuko," a man asked Steph as she approached the doors to the factory. "I'm Liam, and I'm a foreman here." He opened the doors, and showed Steph inside.

The place was full of large machines with big wheels and cogs. Everything was huge and noisy, and Steph covered her ear with her free hand, wincing. Liam directed her through some more doors, and into a quiet are outside.

Here, despite the air, there were healthy trees, and grass. Many people were sitting here, talking and chatting amongst themselves. The air wasn't quite as bad as it was outside the factory walls, but Steph still could smell the pollution. She looked over at Liam, who pointed at the people milling about. "This is the first shift of people who get lunch. When they're done, the next shift will come out, and then you can head down to the mines."

"Thank you," she said, and Liam left. Steph gathered her courage, and approached the group.

"Oh, hey! Lunch is here!" one of the workers called excitedly, and a cheer went up. The people all crowded around Steph all at once, and she squeaked and tried to back up a step.

"Give the new girl some room," the person who had spoken up first said, pushing people back. "She looks like a frightened kitten."

"Probably because she works for that crazy Yuko woman," another spoke up, and a laugh rocked the air. Steph felt herself cracking a small smile.

"Forgive us," the first man spoke again. "We're kind of rough around the edges, but we're all good people. I'm Mick."

"Nice to meet you," Steph said. "I'm Steph."

"So, what's on the menu today?" Mick asked.

"Nothing fancy, just some Special Toast," she said. "It was all I could make."

She began handing out the lunches to everyone, and they began to eat excitedly. There were murmurs of delight and enjoyment from everyone.

"This is fantastic," Mick said. "And you really made this?"

Steph nodded, blushing slightly.

"This is a pretty hard dish to make," someone said. "Isn't it an advanced dish?"

"It is," Mick replied. "I'm really surprised."

Steph blinked. _And advanced dish?_

"You okay?" Mick asked her.

"Did I…really make an advanced dish?" she asked, disbelieving.

"Yeup," Mick said.

"I think I need to sit down," she said, sinking to her knees.

Liam stuck his head into the courtyard again. "Break shift, people. Let's go."

There were grumbles and moans, and everyone got up and walked back inside as another group began to walk out. Mick smiled and waved at Steph as he disappeared back inside.

Steph waved back, still in shock.

Amongst the group coming out was a tall woman, dressed in a black bikini top, a white and red candy striped scarf, a pair of black cut-off shorts, knee-high pale pink stockings, and white boots. A sniper rifle was slung on her back, and her long red hair was tied up in a ponytail on top of her head. She looked over at Steph, and smiled to herself.

Steph got to her feet, and began handing out lunches to everyone who had come out on their break. Many of them thanked her, and some even paid her compliments, which made her blush. When she finally got to the woman, she handed over a lunch box with a nervous smile.

"Here."

"Thank you," the woman said with a grin. "I can't say I don't feel sorry for you."

"Huh? Oh, this outfit…" Steph blushed.

"I don't think I could wear that," the woman admitted.

_But you are wearing less than me!_ Steph thought.

So, you're new, hmm?" The woman continued.

"Y-yes," Steph said.

"Keep at it," she said kindly. "Yuko is full of surprises. You'll understand someday."

"Alright," Steph said.

"I worked for her once too," the woman added, her eyes sparkling.

Steph's mouth dropped open a bit. "Really? You?"

The woman nodded. "For about a month. It was while she was here in Einbroch, getting some materials. I worked for her for a whole month, and by the end, I never wanted to see her again."

"Really…" Steph said.

"But then, I realized something. See, I had taken my Gunner test earlier, but failed because I wasn't confident enough in my own abilities. After that month of work, I tried it again. And this time, I passed. With flying colours." The woman smiled distantly.

Steph sat there, thinking about what the lady had said. "So, you think that Yuko helped you get the confidence to pass the test?"

"In a way," the woman replied. "But either way, I'm grateful to her."

Steph smiled. "Thank you. I guess."

"Thank _you_," the woman replied. "Lunch was very good."

Steph giggled. "It's funny. I'm a terrible cook, and yet I managed to make this really hard dish with no problems at all."

The woman smiled. "Maybe you aren't as bad as you think you are."

Steph giggled again.

"Do me a favour?" the woman asked suddenly. "You're going out to the mines now, right?"

"That's right," Steph said.

"Can you make sure someone out there actually eats his lunch? He's really bad for not doing it." She sat up straighter as she talked. "He's tall, with wild blue hair and tattoos all over his torso. If he argues with you, tell him I'll put a slug in his skull if he forgets again."

"Alright," Steph said, sweating a little. The woman sounded kind of scary.

—

The train ride from Einbroch to Einbech was swift and uneventful. Once she arrived at the small working village, she gave a sigh of relief. The air was clean here, so she removed her mask and smiled.

The village was rather empty, and the few people that were there waved at her with friendly smiles. She waved back, and noticed a group of people coming down from the direction of the mines. She guessed they were the workers.

"Lunch is here!" one man said with a hearty laugh. "By golly, I really needed this!"

Steph handed out the lunches as quickly as she could, and the men thanked her. She smiled to herself with pride, until she heard a few men talking.

"That idiot still hasn't come back yet?"

"No, he just keeps on working away, without a stop. I'm not even sure he slept last night."

Steph blinked, and remembered what the woman had said back at the factory. "Umm, excuse me…?"

The men turned to her, and she swallowed, nervous.

"T-that man you were talking about…is he a swordsman with tattoos?"

"That's the one," one miner said. "He's got a screw loose if you ask me."

Steph sighed. "Where would I find him in the mines?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go in there, missy," the other miner said. "It's pretty dangerous in there for a young thing like you."

Steph made a face. "But I have to. I made a promise to someone that I'd make sure he ate this lunch."

The men looked at each other and smiled knowingly. "Well, I respect the fact that you'd honour a promise, but I still don't think it's wise."

Steph made a puppy dog face, and the men laughed.

"Alright, he's on the second level. Do be careful now. There is a lot of nasty stuff down there."

Steph thanked them, and ran off towards the mines as fast as she could.

The men watched her go, shaking their heads. "She's a funny one, that girl."

—

Steph rode the mine cart all the way to the end of the line on the first floor of the mines, and peered down the hole that lead to the second floor. She was a bit nervous.

"There's nothing to be scared of," she said to herself, slipping the mask back on to protect her from the coal dust. "It's just like Payon Cave back home…only darker…and with more nasty stuff…"

The elevator whirred loudly as it lowered her into the dark caverns of the second floor, and she gulped inadvertently. There were strange noises coming from down here—squeaks and groans and rattling noises, and the grinding of metal and gears.

"H-hello?" she called off into the darkness. "Is anyone here?"

She took a torch from the wall, and began edging her way through the darkness, down the winding tunnels, looking all around her fearfully.

After a bit, she could hear a "Tink" noise, of someone using a pick on the hard walls. She edged down the tunnel more, and the light from the torch revealed someone working.

He was tall, and wore the pants of a swordsman, but no shirt. His back and arms were covered in blue tribal tattoos, and his messy blue hair stuck to his cheeks, wet from sweat. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and turned to look at her.

He had bright reddish-brown eyes, and when he pulled his mask down, she saw he had a kind smile. She blushed a bit as he smiled at her, and swung his pick over his shoulders.

"Oi," he said to her. "You don't look like a miner. What are you doing here?"

Steph looked flustered. "I'm…I'm the delivery girl. I have your lunch here…"

"Not interested," the swordsman said, going back to his work.

"But!—" Steph said, feeling even more flustered. The words of the woman rang in her ears.

"Please, I've been asked to make sure you eat," Steph continued. "This woman who works in the factory told me to!"

The pick stopped in mid-swing, and the swordsman froze. After a second or two, he turned to look at her, putting his pick down as he did so.

"Oh? Did she now?" His tone was quiet, but firm. Steph was scared he'd start yelling or something along those lines, but all he did was start laughing. Low, at first, but gradually growing in volume until it rang through the tunnels at an almost deafening volume.

"I-is something funny?" Steph asked, timidly.

"No, no, it's not you," the swordsman said. "Tell me, what did she say to do if I refused?"

"She said she'd put a slug in your skull," Steph replied, flatly.

The swordsman laughed again. Steph was getting weirded out by this point.

"I really don't see what's so funny…"

The swordsman straightened up, and wiped a tear away from his eye. "It's an old joke we have. She usually threatens me if I get too involved in what I'm doing at any given time. It just means that she's worried about me, that's all." He smiled at Steph. "How about I eat this lunch you worked so hard to get to me."

Steph nodded, and the swordsman plopped down on a rock, and began eating his lunch in great hungry swallows. Steph wondered if he was even chewing his food, especially when he choked for a moment, and pounded on his chest to get the food loose.

"Is it okay?" she asked nervously.

"It's fantastic!" the man replied enthusiastically. "It's been awhile since I had something this good."

Steph smiled, relieved.

"You know," the man went on, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. "Most people don't bother delivering food in this place. They usually leave it at the village, or take it with them. You're the first person I've seen who actually came all the way down here to make sure I got it." He grinned at her.

Steph smiled proudly. "I did make a promise after all."

The man laughed again, and slapped her heartily on the back. "I think I like you," he announced suddenly. "Yes, you're a person I can like very much!"

Steph blinked. "Huh?"

"What's your name?" he asked her.

"Steph," she replied, shook up.

"That's a good name," the swordsman said. "A fine name. My name," he said, pointing at himself with his thumb, "Isn't important! But if you must call me something, call me _Aniki_."

"_Aniki_?" Steph asked, confused. "We aren't related though…"

"But we're brothers of the soul!" he announced, inflating his chest proudly.

Steph felt a bead of sweat run down her face. _This guy makes less and less sense as time goes on…_

There was a noise just then, like metal grinding loudly on metal, and a thunderous thudding noise, like some huge thing taking a giant step. The swordsman tensed, and looked up, his hands going instantly for the sword at his waist.

"What is that?" Steph whispered, scared.

The swordsman was silent for a long moment, and then whispered back, "Trouble."

From around the corner of the tunnel came a reddish glow, almost as if some great fire was coming towards them. There was another earth-shaking step, and more grinding of metal, and suddenly, a giant walking furnace came into view. The monstrous spherical menace spewed great billows of black smoke as it lumbered along, and its huge feet crushed the cart tracks under them like twigs.

Steph trembled fearfully as she stared up at the machine, and clung to the swordsman's back.

"We should run," she cried out to him, yanking on his arms.

The swordsman did not budge. "I never run," he said seriously.

"You're crazy!" Steph yelled, terrified. "That thing is huge, and made of metal! You're one man, with a sword! You'll never be able to defeat it!"

As she looked up in terror at the monstrous furnace, she suddenly spotted movement in the dim light. Squinting, she saw a black, shapeless form at the controls high on top of the spherical machine.

"What is that?" she questioned out loud. The swordsman followed her gaze, and suddenly spotted the black form as well. Grinning like a Banshee, he planted his feet, drew his sword, and brandished it at the machine.

"OIOIOIOIOIOI!" he screamed out. "I CAN BARELY SEE YOU UP THERE!" He pointed up at the form with a flourish, and gave a small laugh. "ONLY A SMALL COWARD, WHO IS COMPENSATING FOR THEMSELVES, WOULD NEED THIS HUNK OF IRON! LET ME GIVE YOU THIS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE: LEAVE NOW OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE DEEVINE LORD—_GACK_!"

The furnace brought its foot down nearly on top of the swordsman, and Steph yanked him out of the way before he was turned into a pancake.

"What are you _doing_?!" the swordsman barked at Steph as she dragged him for the elevator. "You're taking me away from a man's battle!"

"You're too crazy! You can't really expect to fight that thing!" Steph was panicking as she jammed on the button to raise the elevator up to the top floor.

"A man never runs from battle!" The swordsman was growling now.

"There's no honor in DEATH!" Steph snapped back.

The elevator lurched up, and threw the two to the floor of the cage as it slowly began its accent. Steph looked back fearfully, hoping that they would lose the monster when they went back up a floor.

"Let me tell you something—what was you're name again?"

"Steph—" The archer began, but a sudden lurch and grind caused her to lurch back against the wall of the cage. Looking down, she saw the furnace had a corner of the floor with his one hand.

"Shit," the swordsman spat, and drove his sword into the machine's fingers, hoping to cause it to let go. But there was no reaction. It was simply a machine, being driven by something. It had no feelings of its own.

Yanking his sword free, the swordsman kicked open the cage door, and pulled himself onto the roof. Steph yelled at him to stop.

The swordsman paid her no heed, and instead, readied his sword and jumped off the cage, directly at the figure at the controls.

The figure screamed an obscenity, and tried to escape, but the swordsman caught him with the blade of his sword as it came sweeping down, and the figure was cleaved nearly in two. The furnace stopped suddenly, and was silent.

Steph blinked in shock, and sat up slowly, staring at the swordsman.

"What…what just happened?"

The swordsman stood up, and put his sword on his shoulder with a grin. "Once the pilot is gone, the machine stops. It's a simple fact." He looked at Steph again. "This is why men should never retreat. Stand and face adversity. Go beyond the impossible, and kick reason to the curb!"

Steph watched the swordsman rant on, and sighed. _I don't think he realizes I'm a girl…_

"Look, we should get out of here," Steph said "We're going to need someone to clean this mess up."

"Right…" the swordsman replied, scratching his head. "Perhaps we should go…"

—

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU DID?!" the foreman roared at the swordsman. "You set us back about a day with your little stunt! I ought to make you clean this whole thing up yourself!"

The swordsman simply took the verbal abuse, not moving or flinching. The mining foreman was really angry with him, and tore into him with anger unmatched by any monster Steph had seen.

Perhaps the man was simply too shocked to respond after he had discovered, with much embarrassment, that Steph was indeed a woman, and not a man as he has thought.

"You-you're a _girl_?!" the swordsman said with shock and amazement as they came out into the light of day. He looked her up and down repeatedly.

"Yes," Steph said sourly. "How could you not have noticed?!"

"Well, you're so flat, and it was so dark, I just assumed you were a boy with a sexuality crisis," the swordsman replied.

Steph hit him.

She watched now as the swordsman was reamed out, and sighed tiredly. All she wanted now was to change, take a bath, and get some rest. The day had been too much for her.

"Serves him right," one miner said as she trudged past. "That nut job was asking for trouble coming up here. He belongs in a crazy house. Or Niflheim."

"I agree," another miner replied. "He should have just beat it out of there when he saw that thing, like we always do. I can't understand how he thinks at all."

Steph wondered, too, what the man had been thinking, but left it alone.

—

Yuko was waiting at the train station for Steph, and the girl groaned. She had a feeling she was going to be scolded.

And she was right. As soon as she got off the train, Yuko tore into her. "Do you know how late you are? I waited for an hour before I finally came to see what was wrong. And then I hear that there was a ruckus at the mines! Honestly! I can't trust you to do a job alone!"

"It wasn't my fault!" Steph pleaded. "There was this one guy, and he was still in the mines, so I went to get him his lunch and—"

"No excuses," Yuko said with a huff. "We don't make deliveries to out-of-the-way places, _no matter what_."

Steph looked at the ground and sighed. "Okay…I won't do it anymore."

"Good," Yuko said with a satisfied look. "Now let's hurry back. You need to get out of those clothes before you ruin them."

Steph grumbled unhappily to herself as she went back to the cart and dressed back into her old uniform. Trent looked up at her with an almost lazy manor, and asked her weakly, "How'd it go?"

"Terrible," Steph replied unhappily, and then looked down at Trent. "Hey, you don't sound so good. Are you okay?"

"The pollution here is terrible," he admitted with a hacking cough. "Even with this mask, I'm still feeling sick."

"Maybe I should get you looked at," she said with a worried tone, putting a hand to Trent. "You feel kind of cold."

"I'll live," he said tiredly. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "But I think getting you looked at is a priority right now."

Steph wasn't sure, but she was almost certain she saw the blob blush a bit.

—

After telling Yuko she was going to the hospital, Steph ran off into town. The crowds were getting heavier, and Steph felt herself getting shoved around as she made her way towards the marketplace.

Once she got there, the crowds were thinner, and she was able to get her bearings. As she looked around, she suddenly spotted the two workers from before talking to each other, and approached them carefully.

"Honestly, first I hear you aren't eating, and then that you aren't sleeping! Now I hear you took on RSX!" The woman with the sniper rifle was chewing out the swordsman from the mines in a scolding tone. "I can't leave you alone for a second without that bravado getting you into trouble!"

"A man never runs from a real fight!" the swordsman argued. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Run!"

"Like a coward? Never!"

The two noticed Steph suddenly, and the woman smiled. "Oh! Hello again!"

"Hello," Steph said. "I thought I recognized you two."

"Thank you for making sure he ate his lunch," the woman said to her with a grin. "He's so bad at forgetting. I also apologize for his stupid antics."

"Oh…that's alright," Steph said, embarrassed. "To be honest…it _was_ kind of cool."

The swordsman laughed. "See? I told you I would never run from a fight."

The woman looked put off. "Oh don't start."

The swordsman, in response, stood up on the fountain in the centre of the square, took his mask off, and struck a heroic pose. "LISTEN UP EVERYONE! TODAY, A TYRANNICAL BEAST KNOWN AS RSX WAS DEFEATED BY A LONE MAN. KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST DEFEAT KNOWN BY MONSTERS SUCH AS THIS, NAY! THIS MAN HAS SLAIN MANY CREATURES SUCH AS THIS IN THE PAST! SO LET IT BE KNOWN THAT MONSTERS OF THE WORLD SHOULD TREMBLE IN FEAR WHEN THEY HEAR THE NAME OF THE DEEVINE LORD—_HACK COUGH COUGH_!"

And with that, the swordsman doubled over in pain, hacking and coughing violently from the pollution. The woman looked at him with disgust.

"Such a fool…Honestly, why do I put up with him anyway?"

A sinister laugh came suddenly from a rooftop nearby, and Steph looked up to see a ninja in a black and navy uniform with bright white-blond hair standing with his arms crossed in a defiant pose. The ninja pointed at the swordsman, and sneered.

"Fool! To be brought to your knees so easily by this smog! A ninja such as I cannot be defeated so easily by something as minor as this!" And with that, he leapt down off the roof, and landed by the swordsman, tore off his mask, and prepared to speak.

"You see? I'm totally—_HACK HACK COUGH COUGH COUGH_!!"

The ninja doubled over even faster and more violently than the swordsman had, and Steph felt disgust creeping over her too.

_Idiot._

"BAKA!" a dark-haired ninja screamed at the blond ninja, and yanked his mask back on. "Are you a total retard, Ollie? You'd have to be, since you got a D minus in Ninja School. _D MINUS ASS_."

"Shut up, Sifl," Ollie the ninja wheezed pitifully.

"Don't mind the retard everyone," the ninja named Sifl told everyone. "He's really this stupid, honest."

"Maybe we should get these two some help," the redheaded woman said as she leaned the swordsman on her shoulder.

"That's right," Steph said suddenly. "I was taking this guy to the hospital. He isn't looking so good."

The woman looked at Trent, who was asleep in Steph's arms. "He doesn't look to good. He may have pollution poisoning, like this guy." She jerked her head at the swordsman. "Follow me."

—

"Back again, eh Ollie?" a doctor asked the blond ninja.

"He got stupid and yanked his mask off," Sifl explained.

"Boys will be boys," the doctor murmured. "Now then, Ollie, I want you to put this on, and don't take it off, understand?" He handed the boy an oxygen mask.

"Yessir," Ollie replied weakly, and put it on.

"And let me guess, this fool did it too?" the doctor continued, looking at the swordsman.

"That's right," the woman said with a sigh.

"Put him down on that bed there, and we'll get right to him," the doctor said, and turned to Steph. "Now, what about you, young lady? You look fine to me."

"It's not me," Steph said embarrassed. "It's this guy. He's not looking well."

The doctor squinted at Trent. "Well, I'm no vet, but I'd say he's got pollution poisoning as well. Unfortunately, I don't think I can treat him."

"Please?" Steph asked, trying to look cute. "I know you don't generally treat pets, but he's kind of important. See, he isn't mine, and I'd be letting someone down if I let this guy get sick."

Trent gave a pathetic cough in his sleep.

The doctor sighed. "I suppose I can spare an oxygen mask for him too. But don't let it get out that I did this."

"I promise," Steph said brightly. "My lips are sealed."

Just then, a group of doctors rushed by Steph, pushing a bed with a girl on it. She was bleeding heavily from several gunshot wounds, and a dark haired gunner she'd seen several times before in Prontera ran beside her, holding her hand.

"Hold on, Tobias!"

Behind them was a knot of people: a ninja with a Bongun in tow, a few Gunners who looked to be instructors, a small desert wolf pup, and a knight in black armour.

_It couldn't be!_

She stared at the knight as he passed her, and couldn't believe it. It was him; that knight from before.

She tried to run after him, but a nurse stopped her. "I'm sorry miss," she said. "But I can't let you through."

Steph watched the knight disappear into the hospital with a sense of panic. She'd lost him yet again.

She slumped down in a chair beside the bed Trent and the swordsman were resting on, and leaned back against the wall.

I'm so tired…maybe I'll close my eyes for a second…

—

_"Long time, no see," a familiar voice said to her._

_Steph opened her eyes to darkness, and saw a face leaning over her. She blinked, and realized it was the man from before, when she had gotten heatstroke in Morroc._

"_You…"_

"_That's right," he said with a smile, his amethyst eyes sparkling. "And here I thought you'd forgotten about me."_

"_What are you doing here?" she asked him, sitting up straighter. "Are you a hallucination? Or something else?"_

"_I am what I am," the man said, grinning. "And right now, I'm here to help you."_

_Steph blinked. "Huh?"_

"_You care a lot about that Drop," the man commented. "How come?"_

_Steph thought about it for a moment. "I guess…because under all that brass and attitude is just some poor lost soul looking for someone they really care about. Deep down, Trent is really kind. And to be honest, I can understand how he feels…to be alone…" She let her voice peeter off, and sighed._

_The man smiled at her. "That's what he needs right now…is someone to care for him. He won't ask for anything more than that." He took Steph's hand, and dropped something into it. "Here. Give this to him. It'll help."_

"_But…" Steph began. "This isn't—"_

"_Trust me," the man said with a wink._

—

Steph snapped awake, and looked around her, startled. The swordsman was sitting up now, and so was Ollie. They both looked at her.

"You okay?" Ollie asked.

Steph rubbed at her eyes. "I…I don't know…"

She looked down, and in her hand was a small orange pill. She blinked several times. "But how…?"

She looked over at Trent, and then back at the pill, before gently taking the oxygen mask off the Drop, and popping the pill in its mouth.

There was a moment where he did nothing, and then he suddenly coughed a bit, and opened his eyes. He looked at Steph blearily, and yawned.

"Where am I?"

"The hospital," she said, tears stinging her eyes. "I was scared there for a bit."

Trent went bright red, and looked away, embarrassed.

—

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" the woman asked Steph as they left the hospital and walked to Yuko's cart.

"I'll be okay," she said with a smile. "Take care of each other now, okay?"

"We will," the woman replied with a smile. "We're off to Alberta now."

"Our shift is done for the month," the swordsman added. "So we're off to do more exploring. Plus, I also want to lay low for a while, after that stunt in the mines today." He looked embarrassed.

"How about you two?" Steph asked the ninjas.

"Oh, we're off to do more training," Sifl said, as serious as always. "A ninja's training is never done."

"We must go out, and ninja in the night," Ollie added, trying to be serious, but his face was cracking into a smile.

Steph laughed. "Well, I hope to see you two again. We hardly know each other."

"I can hardly call it a meeting on our part," Sifl replied honestly. "But if you ever require assistance, know that Sifl and Ollie of Ninja Tec will be there to help you."

"We're also awesome at parties," Ollie added jokingly.

"You two jokers better not get in my way," the swordsman threatened. "I plan to go after the meanest of the mean on my travels."

Ollie stuck out his tongue. "You do not frighten me! I'm a ninja!"

"No, no, no, don't exploit­—" Sifl tried to stop Ollie.

"I'm wearing all black," Ollie went on.

"Don't exploit the ninja! The ninja is calm, repeat, _calm_," Sifl told Ollie firmly.

"Calm, yeah, I know," Ollie said, deflated as the two walked off.

"Defence."

"Oh yeah."

"Strategy"

"Yes."

"Eye of the Dragon. Feel the power, the energy, from below."

"We must go out, and ninja in the night."

"You must start our ninja quest," Sifl said, getting into the rhythm now.

"Shall we?"

"Yes." And with that, the two walked off, singing the Ninja Tec Fight Song at the top of their lungs.

_Like the shadow serpent,_

_Silence is my veil_

_Yes, and with precision of the cobra_

_Ninjas kill and leave no trail_

_We, know ancient stuff_

_And we have fun, fucking things up_

_For instance_

_In the confusion of a smoke bomb, I can remove your bra, and you wouldn't even notice._

_I can jump, roof to roof, and get my friends free cable. It's badass._

_I used, my Chinese star_

_To pick the locks, and steal your car_

_Rock and roll!_

_Ninja of the Night!_

_Ninja of the Night!_

Steph watched the two ninja disappear into the distance, trying very hard not to laugh. They certainly were entertaining.

"Those two have been hanging around this place for so long, I almost feel like they're fixtures," the woman with the sniper rifle said with a wry grin. "They're totally harmless. Ridiculous, but harmless."

"Ninjas these days," Steph said with a laugh and a shake of her head.

Gunshots sounded out from the marketplace, and Steph looked back, alarmed. The woman tensed, but the swordsman waved it off.

"It's nothing, I'm sure. Just some personal business that we have nothing to do with."

Yuko stormed out of her cart, looking rather upset. "SOMEONE JUST MADE OFF WITH THE LEFTOVERS FROM LUNCH!"

Steph blinked. "Who?"

"Some blond ninja and a Bongun," Yuko huffed. "When I find them, there'll be hell to pay! I was really looking forward to that lunch too!"

Steph looked back to see the ninja and Bongun from back at the hospital taking off towards the marketplace and smiled to herself.

"Let them go," the redhead told Yuko, holding her back. "It's not worth it."

"But…!" Yuko wailed. "It was mine!!"

Everyone except Yuko burst out laughing. Steph didn't know why, but it was as if some weight had been lifted off her finally. She laughed until she though her sides would split.

—

The factory was empty now. Work had stopped for the day, but the wheels and cogs were still turning. Up on a catwalk, a man in a long scarlet robe stood, his back to Mick, who was glaring at the man in furious rage.

"And you mean to tell me, this has been going on for months now?" Mick blurted out angrily.

"Oh, far longer than that," the robed man said quietly.

"But…why? To what purpose?"

"It's simple, really," the man said. "Our Great Lord is returning to us soon. Preparations must be made."

"But…to poison innocent people!" Mick could barely speak now.

"The Black Miasma must be restored," the man said, turning to face Mick now. "It was necessary. A few miners will not be missed. Their deaths are for the greater good." He walked over to Mick until the two were face to face.

"There is no good here," Mick was seething by this point. "I can't allow you to—_hurk_!"

The robed man withdrew a dagger from Mick's stomach, and the man gasped in pain as he fell to his knees. Clutching at his stomach, where scarlet blood was seeping out from between his fingers, Mick looked up into the face of his killer. "No…It…can't be…" A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"In the name of our God, Morroc," the robed man said, raising his dagger.

—

NEXT CHAPTER:

Something strange this way comes. Youth becomes a blossom, blooming, opening for the first time. Step by step, destiny walks slowly forward. Like a graceful wind, one motion at a time, captivating. Next time, _I Dance the Dance of Saints_. Shall I dance for you?


	7. Chapter 7 I Dance the Dance of Saints

**Gypsy Rose**

**A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell**

Author's Notes: Last chapter was tiring and yet also fun. It was a lot of work to make it match up to _Stray Dog_ without actually lapping into it. I couldn't have any of the characters interacting with each other, and causing continuity. However, being vague, or having Steph as an observer is a fantastic ways to tie it together. I hope to do more of this tying in stuff. x3 I also want to comment on this chapter. Steph finally becomes the next job level in this one. I set a record after having re-done the test to become a dancer 20+ times _in a row_. I was too stubborn to leave the place until I had passed.

Editor's Notes: Another Chapter has come, sorry that its so late...that's a combination of Steph's Internet, and my fault, for being late with this comment (mostly mine). Anyway, this is an interesting Chapter, get to see a couple new sides of both Yuko and Kaze, however brief they may be, also you get to see the Dancer Job Change Test, with Steph's own little flare added to it I promise it won't disappoint you.

Chapter Seven – I Dance the Dance of Saints

_Dear Umi,_

_It's been a while since my last letter to you. I apologize for being a terrible older sister, and not writing sooner. Anyway, the last time I wrote to you, I had just made it to Prontera, and realized what an adventure I had gotten into. I met this alchemist named Yuko, who dragged me along on several adventures, including one that destroyed an old ruin in Ayothaya, and another that took me to the Coal Mines of Einbroch._

_I'm also closer to finding that black knight I saw back in Payon woods. I've had several near misses with him so far, but I'm getting closer. I can feel it in my gut._

_Also, no luck finding the owner of this Drop I picked up in Morroc. It's almost like his owner vanished into thin air. No one has seen him, or even heard of where he may be. All of these dead ends are becoming a pain._

_Anyway, I love you always. And enclosed is a brooch I saw and thought you would like. I hope you like it as well._

_Love always,_

_Steph_

—

Steph leaned back on her heels and sighed heavily. It had been weeks since her trip to Einbroch, and she was no closer to becoming a better archer now than she had been then.

"The problem is," she reasoned out loud. "Yuko doesn't give me any time to practice."

Trent bounced lightly in place, bored, and rolled his eyes to look up at her in an almost lazy manor.

"Well, why don't you just go practice? No one says you _have_ to do what that woman asks you to."

Steph sighed again. "That's true." The only thing keeping Steph working for Yuko was herself. She wasn't even sure anymore why exactly she was doing the things Yuko wanted her to.

"What's this about not working for me anymore?" Yuko asked as she leaned over Steph, grinning almost demonically.

Steph and Trent yelped in unison, and leapt up, skittering away from the woman. Yuko laughed hysterically.

"You two remind me of crabs!" She laughed some more. "You look so funny!"

"Don't scare us like that, woman!" Trent barked angrily.

"Oh? Then what shall I do instead?" Yuko asked.

"Not scare us," Steph responded with an almost 'duh' tone of voice.

Yuko looked at Steph for a bit, as if she was thinking. "You know, I haven't seen you shoot your bow for a while. Why don't you show me how that's coming along."

Steph sighed. "Okay, sure. Whatever."

Yuko dragged Steph off to the empty practice lot, and Steph set up her bow for a shot at a target. She seemed almost reluctant to do so.

_This is a waste of time_, she thought to herself, and let the shaft fly.

_THUNK!_ The arrow buried itself deep into the centre of the target. Steph stared at it with a surprised face.

"Seems someone got better while I wasn't looking," Yuko commented.

Steph felt herself reel a bit. "But I…I wasn't even…"

"Two bolts at a time now," Yuko said excitedly, clapping her hands.

Steph loaded two arrows into her bow, and fired them both at the target. Both of them landed rather close to the centre, and she blinked in amazement.

"I'd say you've got the basics down pat," Yuko told Steph with a chuckle. "You might even be ready to advance your training to the next level."

"You mean…become another job class?" Steph asked nervously.

Yuko nodded. "It's natural for anyone to eventually move on, and advance their skills to the next level. For you, being an archer, you can travel to Hugel, and request to become an hunter at the Hunter's Guild, but I think you'd be better suited for the other job…"

"Other…?" Steph questioned. "You don't mean _dancer_, do you?" The memory of the annoying dancers at the pub nearly a month ago was still fresh in her mind.

Yuko pursed her lips together. "A dancer doesn't just use a bow or a whip to fire arrows at the enemy. They also use a variety of songs and dances to aid their fellow party members."

Steph was quiet for a bit. "I don't think I'm good enough for that though." She looked up, her face rather crestfallen. "I'm really clumsy, and I have bad aim as it is. Besides, you have to be pretty co-ordinated. And I don't really have the figure for that outfit."

Yuko chuckled as Steph looked down at her underdeveloped bust. The girl was still young…she'd grow into it.

"You don't have to decide right away," Yuko said. "In fact, I recommend taking time to make your decision. Think it over carefully, and go from there."

Steph walked down to the marketplace, not paying attention to where she was, or where she was going. As she came up on the area of the pub, she sighed heavily to herself.

"I don't know. When I became an archer, it wasn't because I wanted to be one. I just wanted a way to protect the foxes…"

Trent looked up at her. "Is that right? Well, either way, you're an archer now, so you have to make up your mind as to what you're going to do now."

Steph came to a stop as she spotted the gaggle of dancers she knew all too well to be from Madame Rochette's School of Dance. Lydia, the blond dancer in the teal uniform, gave Steph a withering glance, and laughed with her fellow dancers.

"Oh look, the scarecrow's back, girls!" Lydia chided. "Maybe she wants to try another dance, hmm? Although they look more like she's flopping about in the wind!"

Steph bit down on her lip to keep from crying, and scowled fiercely. Lydia was grating her nerves already.

"At least I don't need to grind the egos of others under my dirty heels in order to make myself feel good," she shot at Lydia, feeling almost evil, and certainly a lot better.

Lydia's face went nearly magenta. "Watch your tone with me, missy. Do you know who I am?"

"No," Steph replied flatly. "And personally, I don't care."

Lydia shook with rage. "I am Lydia Klashnikov, the daughter of Yurevich Klashnikov. You can't talk to me like that."

Trent squeaked, and hid behind Steph's legs. Steph simply blinked.

"Who's Yurevich Klashnikov?"

"Only the most powerful and influential man in all of Comodo," Trent hissed. "Rumour has it, the people who get in his way end up with a brand new pair of cement shoes…and a bed at the bottom of Comodo Lake."

Steph gulped. Lydia was glaring at her now with the eyes of a killer.

"In any case," Lydia went on. "I know you're trying to move in on my score."

"Huh?" Steph said, confused.

"That knight, The Black Knight," Lydia explained impatiently. "As far as I'm concerned, I should be allowed to have the best of everything around me. I've earned it. And that knight is the best of everything. He's hansom, charming, and, above all, an ace fighter. Who better to compliment _my_ perfection?"

Steph felt her calm deteriorating quickly. This woman was getting on her last nerve, no matter how powerful she was.

"She sure is arrogant," Steph hissed at Trent, who nodded in agreement.

"She earned her reputation as a top-notch dancer, but that doesn't mean she did it entirely honestly," Trent explained. "There are stories of her…_attacking_ people."

Steph was disliking this girl more and more every minute.

"Well, it's not like I should be worried," Lydia continued, her tone getting more and more vile by the moment. "After all, The Black Knight only likes Dancers."

Steph blinked. "Huh?"

Lydia laughed. "He's always flirting with them, always seen with them. A scrawny little archer like you could _never_ appeal to his tastes."

Steph's anger boiled over. "We'll see about that." And with that, she stormed off.

—

"So, you've decided, then?" Yuko said to Steph as the archer stormed up to her cart a while later. The rush had died down after the early afternoon crowds, and the square was all but empty now, giving Yuko time to talk to Steph without interruptions.

"Yes," Steph said, her face still a scowl. "I'm going to become a dancer."

"Wonderful," Yuko replied happily. "I had hoped you might. I have some business to attend to in Comodo anyway, so that means I can even give you a lift."

Steph looked up at Yuko, and sighed. "Hey Yuko, do you know Yurevich Klashnikov?"

Yuko's face broke into a dark, sinister smile. "Why yes, yes I do."

Steph sighed again. "Well, I may have made an enemy of his daughter, Lydia."

Yuko chuckled darkly. "Nothing to be worried about. I guarantee that after you become a dancer, you'll have nothing to fear from Lydia Klashnikov, or anyone else for that matter."

—

Comodo was a city where it shone with enough light to make it seem like day, even in the dead of night. It was a town of white beaches and perfect blue waters, and of towering and impressive buildings, weaving around the ancient stone structures of an old and long forgotten people, whose legacy was still there to this day. Most people walked around in swimsuits and light clothing, wearing garlands of flowers and waving at the tourists who came there. What made the whole thing impressive was that the entire city was inside a cave.

On the docks of the city was the Comodo Casino. Most people who went there rarely came out with a fortune, but some did, and the allure of an easy fortune kept pulling in countless people year after year.

Steph covered her ears as a firework whistled up towards the roof of the cave, and exploded in a loud 'BANG!' and shower of colourful sparks.

"Jeeze, those are loud," Steph grumbled.

"The locals fire them off at regular intervals due to superstitious reasons," Yuko explained. "They believe firing them off will keep an evil witch, that once plagued this place with sorrow long ago, from returning."

"Is that true?" Steph asked, amazed.

"So I've heard," Yuko said, shrugging.

"So this 'business' of yours," Steph began. "What is it?"

"My business is my business," Yuko commented firmly.

"Her business, her business!" Maru Moro echoed from inside the cart.

"Fine, be mysterious," Steph grumbled.

"Anyway, the Dancer's Guild is right over there," Yuko pointed to a large, brightly lit building near the centre of town. "The rest will be up to you, but I wish you the best of luck."

"I'll need it," Steph called as she walked off.

"No, you won't," Yuko murmured to herself. "Not yet, at least."

—

Steph stood at the entrance to the Dancer's Guild, and swallowed nervously.

"I can do this," she told herself. "I can do this. I have to show that Lydia bitch that I'm just as capable as her! Besides," she added, blushing slightly. "Lydia did say he liked Dancers…this may be my only way of getting his full attention!"

Trent rolled his eyes and groaned. "I say forget him. He seems like a putz anyway."

"Watch it!" Steph spat at him. "You don't know him at all." She blushed again, but tried to pretend she wasn't.

Steph shoved on the door to the Guild, and stepped timidly inside. It seemed rather empty inside, and she wondered if anyone was even there.

"I say we check for pots to smash," Trent joked. "Maybe we'll get lucky, and there'll be a zeny or two inside them."

"Now cut that out!" Steph barked at Trent.

The Dancer's Guild was more like some kind of theatre than a guild, and Steph wondered if the reason was the fact that they preformed here as well. She wondered what kind of performances they were.

"Welcome to the Dancer's Guild," a voice off to Steph's right said, and she jumped back, squeaking a bit.

"Oh, h-hi," Steph replied, nervously. She breathed deep to get her heart to stop beating so spastically.

"You must be here for the dancer's test," the woman went on. "My name is Bijou. And I guess you're name is Steph."

"It is," Steph said, her voice becoming suspicious. "How did you know?"

"Oh, Miss Yuko came in the other day, and paid your admission fee for you," Bijou said cheerfully. "You're so lucky to have a benefactor like that."

Steph laughed nervously. "Yeah…I suppose so…" She wondered if she was going to owe Yuko for this…

_Ten percent over ten days_, Yuko's familiar phrase rang in Steph's ears, and she shuttered.

"All you'll need now are a few items to go towards your test. Just a few small items, naturally; twenty pints of sticky mucus, five red potions, three jellopies, and a pair of shoes."

"I'll…go get those for you then…" Steph replied weakly. She turned, and ran out of the dance hall, looking around for Yuko. Steph was in luck, as she spotted the tall, black-haired woman still at her cart.

"Yuko!" Steph called as she ran over. "I need some help!"

Yuko blinked. "Oh?"

"I need twenty pints of sticky mucus, five red potions, three jellopies, and a pair of shoes, quickly. It's for my test." She took a deep gulp of air, and added, "Thank you for the tuition fee payment, by the way."

"Ten percent over ten days," Yuko said darkly.

"I knew it," Steph muttered.

"Anyway," Yuko continued. "I just so happen to have everything you mentioned right here on my cart."

Steph leapt up. "OH YUKO! You're a lifesaver!"

Yuko rummaged around on the cart, and found all the items Steph needed. Handing them to Steph, she began to speak.

"Now, about the—"

"THANKS YUKO, I'm so lucky to have a friend like you!" Steph called back as she ran into the dance hall. "Wish me luck!"

"—Repayment." Yuko sighed. "She didn't really think this was all for free now, did she?" Yuko calculated on her fingers. "Let's see, including the tuition payment, the total comes to…12,584 zeny."

"Is that all?" a voice asked from nearby. Yuko turned, catching a glimpse of black steel, and smirked to herself.

"You again, eh?" Yuko chuckled. "You've had your eye on this one for a bit now, haven't you?"

"I owe her," the man responded, smiling. "This amount doesn't even begin to cover what I owe her." He threw a satchel of money down on the cart's sideboards, and added a whip to it. Then he turned, throwing a small wave over his shoulder as he left.

Yuko sighed to herself. "There's a man I'll never be able to read. A walking mass of chaos, that one."

As if to respond to Yuko's comment, a firework strayed off it's course, and slammed into the man, exploding on impact. He yelled loudly in pain, and then ran off to find the shooter, screaming angry insults all the while. Yuko watched, shaking her head.

"I don't know which of the two has worse luck."

—

Steph ran back inside, and gave the items to Bijou, who arched an eyebrow, but said nothing else.

"Well then," Bijou said, pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil, "Shall we get the written test out of the way?"

Steph gulped. _Written test?!_

Bijou handed the paper and pencil to Steph, and smiled. "Good luck."

Steph sat down in a spot by the edge of the stage, and began filling out the test paper. "Let's see…name, age, birthplace…this all seems straightforward…okay, question 1: 'What is the effect of 'Dancing Lessons'?' HUH?" She scratched her cheek. "Well, I would guess they make you a better dancer."

She looked down the list of choices she was given, and settled on, 'They improve the effectiveness of whip attacks'.

"Maybe this test won't be too hard after all," Steph murmured to herself as she answered some more questions.

"Question 5: 'What person can perform the most beautiful dances?'" Steph looked at the list, and saw Bijou's name. A bead of sweat fell off her face.

_I have a feeling that if I _don't_ answer this question with Bijou, I'm gonna fail_.

The rest of the test was basic common sense, and Steph finished it rather quickly. She handed it back to Bijou nervously.

"Okay, let's see what you have here…hmm…" The woman mulled over the test for a few minutes. "I have to say, you got a perfect score. Plus bonus points for having such nice things to say about me." Bijou beamed happily, and Steph was glad she had listened to her gut.

"So, now what?" Steph asked.

"Now is the hard part," Bijou said. "You get to show me what you're capable of as a dancer."

"Eep," Steph moaned. She had been dreading this.

—

"No! That was wrong! Do it again!" Bijou screamed at Steph, and cracked her whip on the floor of the studio. Steph whimpered.

"But…I did what you asked me to!"

"You did it too slow!" Bijou barked. "You're slower than a sloth on sake! Now pick up the pace! How do you expect to be a good dancer with moves like that?"

Steph snivelled a little. She was starting to get frustrated, and it was wrecking her concentration. Bijou pointed the whip in her hand threateningly at Steph.

"SHOW ME YOUR MOVES!"

Steph couldn't decide if she was going to roll on the floor laughing, or piss herself in fright.

She ended up screwing up the next dancing attempt, and Bijou barked at her yet again.

"That was pathetic! I bet an injured puppy could dance better than you!"

"Stop verbally abusing me!" Steph wailed. "I can't focus!"

Trent sighed offstage, and rolled his eyes around, looking for something interesting to focus his attention onto instead of Steph and her crying.

"Only weaklings cry at something like this. You're not a weakling, are you?" Bijou said threateningly.

"DAMN RIGHT I AM!" Steph bawled.

Bijou cracked the whip at Steph, who squeaked and backed up. The dancer growled angrily.

"Look," she said, "I'm only doing this because you have the potential. I see that you have the ability to be a fantastic dancer, but only if you apply yourself. Now get up, and PROVE IT TO ME!" She snapped the whip again viciously, and Steph whimpered as she scrambled to her feet.

"ONE, TWO, THR—HEY! No, no, NO! That was WRONG! Do it AGAIN!"

There was another crack of the whip.

"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, ONE, TWO—HEY! I SAW THAT! Do it AGAIN!"

Another whip snap. A bawl from Steph. The sounds of leather snapping viciously against skin.

Steph whimpered and rubbed her leg where Bijou's whip had connected. The dancer sighed.

"That's enough of that for today," she said. "We'll continue this test after you've had time to practice more." She sneered. "Of course, you dance like a frog who tried to stand on its back legs, so I'm not expecting much from you."

Steph growled fiercely, but clenched her fists and decided not to hit Bijou. Instead, she stormed out of the dance hall, with Trent in hot pursuit.

—

"I can't do this," Steph muttered dejectedly as she trudged along the beach. She kicked at half buried rocks and shells with a sigh.

"Don't say that," Trent said. "You just need to practice a bit, that's all."

"What I need," Steph replied, sullenly. "Is a miracle."

"A miracle, hmm?" a voice asked Steph. The voice sent a chill down Steph's spine, and she leapt to her feet in fright, tripping over a rather large rock, and landed in the water with a large splash. She looked up to see a familiar Gypsy with long lavender hair smirking at her.

"S-Somine!"

"Long time, no see, cutie," Somine purred. "But oh! You're all wet now! That won't do at all! Give me your hand, and I'll help you out, and get you dried off."

Steph took Somine's outstretched hand, and go to her feet. Wading out of the shallows, she started to wring her clothes out with a heavy sigh.

"Jeeze, and I don't have any spare clothes…"

"Oh, I'll lend you something," Somine said, smiling. "I'm sure they'll fit. But tell me, why were you so blue?"

"I…I got told I'm not good enough to be a dancer yet, and sent home for the day," Steph griped. "I'm supposed to practice and come back, but I don't see how that's going to help."

"What you need," Somine told her, "Is a teacher."

Steph looked puzzled. "I though Bijou was a teacher?"

"No, she's an instructor," Somine replied. "She only evaluates if you're good enough to become a dancer, and issues your licence. After that, all second class jobs are recommended to have teachers."

"She's right," Trent said. "Even Trent had a teacher when he became a rouge."

Steph let it sink in. "So…I need someone to teach me, then…where would I find someone like that?" Steph's shoulders sagged in depression.

Somine cleared her throat, and Steph looked up.

"Do you know a dancer who could teach me, Somine?"

Somine fell over, exasperated. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

Trent snickered under his breath.

Steph sighed. "I don't know…asking you to teach me seems…wrong somehow. Like I'd be putting unneeded pressure on you, or something."

"Nonsense!" Somine chortled. "I'd be HAPPY to teach you my skills! I guarantee after a lesson or two with me, you'll be mopping the floor with everyone else."

Steph brightened up a bit. "Really?" Then her face fell again. "You're not gonna whip me if I screw up, are you?"

Somine laughed nervously. "Well…"

—

"Pick up those feet a little more," Somine told Steph in a cold voice. "Your left foot is too low. And arch that leg more. Remember: you are a graceful swan."

"Graceful swan…sure…" Steph grumbled as she strained to position her legs just right. She felt something pull in her thigh, and whimpered with pain.

"Get used to it," Somine told her. "Your muscles aren't used to this kind of abuse yet. Once we're done, we'll do some cool-down stretches, followed by more lessons."

"I'm regretting this decision to become a dancer!" Steph wailed as she desperately tried to stretch her leg up behind her head, and toppled over.

Somine sighed as she looked at Steph. "This won't be easy, that's for sure."

Trent sighed, bored. "You thought it would be? Oh come on, Somie, even you know better than that."

Somine shot Trent a look that would kill. "That's _Somine_, you fat blob of cellulite."

Trent recoiled in terror. "Yes Ma'am!"

Somine huffed angrily. "I had hoped it would go a bit smoother than this, that's for sure. She's got all the grace of a bull in a china shop. Still," Somine continued, looking at Steph with curiosity. "She does have _some_ grace. I've seen it, when she's not paying attention…She'll suddenly get graceful, like some beautiful animal, gliding through the world. At times like that…" Somine sighed dreamily.

Steph sat on the ground, and heaved an enormous sigh. "I'm not cut out for this stuff."

"You just need the right motivation," Trent piped up. "What about what you said back in Prontera? How you were gonna become the best dancer ever, and show Lydia who was really in charge?"

Somine's ears perked up at the name 'Lydia'. "What's this about Lydia?"

"Oh nothing," Trent said casually. "Just that she's been running around Pront with her little entourage, and been bossing everyone around like she's some Queen Bee or something, and telling Steph that she owns the Black Knight. That's all. Nothing, really."

Somine looked downright evil. "So, little Miss my-daddy-owns-half-of-Comodo thinks she can just waltz into MY territory, and claim to be the best? UH UH. I DON'T THINK SO. Get up, Steph. We're doing this again."

Steph whimpered. "Why me…?"

—

That night, back at Yuko's cart, Steph and Trent were sleeping under the back canopy in Steph's sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling of the cave, where the lights of the city reflected off the lake in a dazzling blue dance. Trent looked at Steph, who was beat after her long day, and hesitated.

"You want to ask me something?" Steph murmured quietly, startling Trent.

"I—err—yeah…" He paused again before continuing. "What is it about that Black Knight anyway? Why are you so fixated on him?"

Steph didn't reply right away. She looked up at the ceiling of the cave for a while.

"It was back when I first started out, back before we met. I had just left on my journey, a fresh rookie, and I ran into him in Payon Woods. He was really understanding, and patient with me. He saved my life. And he didn't even ask for anything in return. He was so dashing and perfect…a true knight. I…I was swept away in him. And then when I saw him at the pub…with his beautiful eyes…I just knew…he was the one. The one person I wanted to follow for the rest of my life, no matter what." She smiled a little, and looked over at Trent. Even in the dark, she could see his eyes, reflecting the lights of the city. He didn't look put off, or even disgusted at her. Rather, he seemed a bit surprised.

"That's…that's pretty cool," he admitted. "I didn't realize it was like that. I guess I just—" He cut himself off. "What I mean is, I thought…maybe if you…well then you'd…you know, stop looking for my Master. You know?" He looked up a little at her, his face looking sad.

"Trent," Steph whispered. "I could never do that. I made a promise to you that I'd find your owner, no matter what. And I never break my promises." She gently touched Trent's cheek with her hand. "Besides, I kind of like having you around."

She didn't see Trent's cheeks flush in the darkness.

"Steph, I—" Trent began, but hesitated again. He worked up some courage, and finally blurted out what he wanted to say.

"I just want you to be happy. That's all I want. If you're happy, I'm happy too."

There was silence, and Trent looked at Steph, confused. He realized she had drifted off. She was snoring quietly, and her chest rose and fell with her shallow breathing.

Trent sighed, shaking his head, and snuggled up close to her, getting comfortable. "You know," he whispered into the darkness. "I like having you around too."

—

"Left, right, front, then back, good! Good!" Bijou smiled as Steph did the dance routine she had failed at yesterday with near perfection. The dance instructor clapped as Steph finished with a small flourish.

"That was most impressive!" Bijou complimented. "I've never seen anyone make such astonishing progress overnight. I'm most impressed!"

"Thank you, Miss Bijou," Steph beamed.

Somine smiled from the corner, and gave Steph a thumbs up. Trent bounced happily beside her.

"As the head dance co-ordinator for the Comodo School of Dance, I am pleased to award this Dancer's Licence to you, Miss O'Dell, as proof that you are now an official dancer. Congratulations." Bijou pulled out the paper that stated Steph was an official dancer from her pocket.

But just as the woman was about to hand it to Steph, the door was flung open, and everyone turned to see Lydia standing there with her fellow dancers, sneering like a cat that had gotten into the milk. Steph felt her stomach curdle.

"Miss Lydia!" Bijou said with astonishment. "What brings you here?"

Lydia sauntered over to Bijou, and snatched the licence from her hand. "I'm afraid this licence is null and void."

Steph went scarlet with rage. "WHAT?!"

Lydia smirked evilly. "I'm afraid this girl isn't qualified to take the test, and therefore is not allowed to become a dancer. I'll have to confiscate this."

"That's utter Peco crap!" Steph sputtered angrily.

"Miss Lydia, I don't understand! All of her credentials check out!" Bijou looked as confused as Steph and the others were.

Lydia's smirk faded. "Just do as I tell you to, Bijou. My father owns this Guild, so unless you want to be out of a job, I suggest you not question me."

Bijou looked flustered, and stepped back.

Lydia pushed between Bijou and Steph, and gave the girl a hard shove. "Honestly, go back to whatever hick town you came from. You're smell alone is enough to make me gag."

Steph forced back rage and tears.

"I know," another dancer chimed in. "Her lameness might be contagious!"

The dancers all laughed hysterically, and Steph felt tears sting her eyes. She couldn't believe she'd gotten so close, only to be shot down again.

"Up to no good again, I see," Somine piped up, stepping forward. Lydia paled slightly when she saw the Gypsy.

"You again," Lydia hissed. "W-what are you doing here?"

Somine cackled evilly, and danced up to where Lydia stood on-stage. She hovered inches from Lydia in an intimidating manor.

"Why, nothing much. Just teaching my dear little friend here some of my moves." Somine's voice was silky, but dangerous, and Lydia got paler. She tried to regain her composer.

"Ha! So the third rate has to get help from one of the Chosen? Or should I say, 'Fallen'? How's work been on that corner of yours?"

"Isn't there a Knight who keeps turning you down at every chance? Why, I remember him leaving you at the table multiple times." Somine purred sweetly at Lydia, hitting her right where it hurt most.

Lydia went scarlet. "It doesn't matter anyway, you ugly old hag. You may be one of the Chosen, but I'm still the best there is. Father made sure of it. He hired nothing but the best of the best to train me."

Somine sputtered with rage at the words 'ugly old hag', and threw her balled fists to her side, trying desperately to calm herself.

"Why you insolent brat you! I don't care WHO trained you! This girl has had the best training I can offer her! I bet you anything she can beat you without breaking a sweat!"

Steph's confidence from Somine's earlier counter faded quickly, and panic overtook her. "Somine!"

Lydia smirked. "Is that so?"

Somine grinned devilishly, and chuckled darkly. "Absolutely. In fact, I think we can prove it. I suggest a duel."

Steph wailed. "No! Somine! Don't!"

Lydia laughed. "All right then. A duel it is."

"Tomorrow, here, 6 o'clock in the evening. If she wins, you give her the licence, and let her become a dancer, no questions asked. And," Somine added darkly. "You get to study under me for a year." She snapped her Queen's Whip with an evil chuckle.

Lydia gulped. "And if I win, she gives up any chance she has of becoming a dancer, and goes off to become a Hunter instead. As well as giving up any rights she has to the Black Knight."

Steph's face became twisted in terror, but Somine agreed. "Done."

Lydia laughed evilly as she flounced out of the Guild. "You'll regret this!"

Somine sneered. "Oh no, hun. It's _you_ who'll regret this."

—

"Somine, that was so not cool!" Steph wailed. "I can't beat her! I'm not ready! And besides, who told you that you could go making bets with her at MY expense anyway?!"

Somine smirked. "Don't fret so much, Steph. It'll give you wrinkles."

Steph put her hands to her face, alarmed, as Somine continued.

"Anyway, I have a _secret weapon_ in my arsenal," the Gypsy purred evilly, chuckling under her breath. "I guarantee that once you learn the dance I have lined up for you, no one, not even Lydia, will ever be a problem, ever again."

Steph felt a shiver of excitement run through her, despite herself. She had to admit, she _was_ intrigued by Somine's words.

"A special dance?" Steph whispered.

Somine grinned. "I learned of it while I was in the desert. Apparently, the Dervishes used to dance it when they were celebrating the return of loved ones from the war. Apparently, it's quite captivating."

Trent perked up. "A Dervish dance? Now that is pretty classy. They were the masters of dancing, after all."

"Among other things," Somine added dryly. "But that's enough of that. Let's get Steph going on learning this dance."

Steph sighed. "First, we find Yuko, and get some idea about what all is going on. I don't like where this whole thing is headed."

"Agreed," Somine replied seriously. "We are tangling with Yurevich Klashnikov's daughter, after all."

"Problem," Trent cued in. "Yuko hasn't been at her cart since yesterday. Whatever her business is, it took her away from it."

Somine smiled. "I might have an idea of where to look."

—

"C'mon dice, momma needs a new pair of shoes!" Yuko laughed excitedly as she shook the dice in her hand, and pitched them down the craps shoot.

"Seven!" the attendant at the table called out the roll.

Yuko cheered excitedly, and took another swig of her drink. She was on a roll.

The Comodo Casino was abuzz with excitement as people from all over tried their luck at winning it big. Among them was Yuko, who'd been throwing dice for several hours now. She was on a real roll, and had nearly quadrupled her original amount.

This hadn't gone unnoticed, of course. Muu, the casino's manager, had been informed of the alchemist's run of luck, and had decided to get to the bottom of it.

An attendant approached Yuko before she could roll again, and asked her to follow him. She obliged, gathering up her winnings, and followed.

The attendant showed her into a room in the back of the casino, where Muu stood by a desk, and behind it sat the form of a man with reddish-brown hair, cropped short, with steel grey eyes. He was dressed in a white suit, with a red tie, and his fingers were covered in gold rings, adorned with many precious stones.

This was, of course, Yurevich Klashnikov, the man who owned most of Comodo. He stared at Yuko with his cold eyes, and Muu waved the attendant out. Once the door was closed, Yurevich put his hands on the desk, and leaned back, looking slightly less intimidating, but still keeping his eyes fixed on the alchemist.

"You're a hard person to read," he began, his thick Moscovian accent making his words a challenge to hear. "I can't read you at all, Miss…"

"Yuko. Yuko Ichihara."

"Ahh," Yurevich seemed to have a moment of recognition. "So you are the famous Yuko. How charming it is to finally make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," Yuko replied, keeping her voice even.

"Muu here tells me you seem to have made quite a bit of money at the casino tonight," Yurevich continued.

"I suppose Lady Luck is on my side," Yuko replied.

"I suppose so," Yurevich chuckled dryly.

There was a moment of complete silence in the room. Yuko felt a bit of discomfort creep over her. The room was dead silent; not even the noise of the casino could be heard. It was an eerie feeling to be cut off from the world. She guessed that the soundproofing also prevented sound from being heard in the casino as well, a note she made with a grim face.

"Tell me, Miss Ichihara," Yurevich continued. "How did you do it? How did you win so many games without losing once?"

Yuko made a small shrug. "I guess the dice liked me."

Yurevich laughed. "The dice liked you. That is a good one."

Yuko laughed slightly nervously as well. She fished into her sleeve for her pipe.

"May I smoke?"

"Of course," Yurevich said, offering his lighter. "I smoke cigars myself."

Yuko quickly stuffed and lit her pipe, and drew a deep breath. Sighing happily as she relaxed, she blew out a large billow of thick white smoke and sat back.

Yurevich lit a cigar of his own, and also sat back.

"Muu was rather concerned when he spotted your streak," Yurevich told Yuko, motioning at the large man standing by the desk. "You understand our concern, don't you?"

"Of course," Yuko replied, much more comfortable now. "An owner has to be protective of his business."

Yurevich nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

Yuko took another deep puff of her pipe, white smoke starting to curl around her arms and hair as more of it was released into the room. She gave Yurevich a coy smirk.

"A successful man such as yourself must be rather concerned about his…other assets as well, am I correct?"

Yurevich arched an eyebrow. "Other assets?"

"Your family," Yuko replied carefully. "You have a daughter, correct?"

"I do," Yurevich replied. "She's quite the girl, that one."

"A dancer, if I'm not mistaken," Yuko added. "Quite ambitious, if I do say so myself."

There was a moment of silence again. Yuko took another drag of her pipe before continuing.

"She seems to be causing some trouble in Prontera, setting up her own little band of trouble-makers, as it were."

Yurevich frowned. "My Lydia is a good girl. She would have no business with miscreants."

Yuko shrugged again. "Still, one can't be too careful with their…things. Perhaps you should spend more time with your family, Mr. Klashnikov."

Yurevich was quiet. Yuko stood up carefully, and put out her pipe.

"If this discussion is over, I'll be taking my leave. Good day, Mr. Klashnikov."

Just as Yuko was getting ready to leave, the door to the office was opened rather violently, and the noise of the casino flooded in. They all turned to see Lydia enter the room, slamming the door behind her.

_Oh dear_, thought Yuko.

"Lydia," Yurevich looked concerned as he stood up to meet his daughter. "Whatever is the matter, my dear?"

"I've been challenged to a dance duel," she informed her father with a huff. "Some poor country fool is being persistent. She doesn't have the right, or the talent, to be a dancer, but she just keeps insisting."

Yuko eyed up Lydia, her interest now perked.

"A duel you say?" Yurevich asked, interested. "Perhaps that is just what we all need. Something interesting to keep the people happy."

Lydia smiled innocently at her father. "Oh Father, are you going to come watch me? I'd be _oh so grateful_ if you did."

"Of course, my little pumpkin," Yurevich said, hugging his daughter warmly. "Anything for you."

Lydia sighed. "It's just not fair, Father. First, I'm ignored by that Black Knight, now this peasant is causing me trouble."

"Black Knight?" Yurevich asked.

Lydia sighed. "Only the most hansom, and perfect man that ever was, Father. And I want to have him for my own. But that peasant keeps getting in the way, causing trouble, and spreading lies about me. She's turned him against me through her treachery."

Yurevich made a face. "I cannot allow this to happen. Leave this to me, Lydia. I will attend to this person who is spreading lies about you."

Lydia grinned, barely concealing her evil smirk. "Oh, thank you Father. I'm so grateful to you."

Yuko cast one last glance at Yurevich and Lydia before leaving the room as quietly as possible. She could see where this was going, and knew she would have to do something about it. Quickly.

—

The knight carefully contemplated his hand for a few moments. Should he stay, or risk it? He seemed to have a good hand, a jack, a six, and a two, but he was still not sure.

"Stay," a voice told him over his shoulder.

The knight in black looked up to see Yuko leaning over him. He jumped a bit in surprise. "When did you…?"

"Trust me on this one. You'll want to stay." Yuko looked confident.

The knight looked over at the dealer, who had an ace showing. He felt himself doubting the woman.

"Your move, Sir?" the dealer asked.

"He'll stay," Yuko said firmly, and the knight looked at her indignantly.

"Very well then," the dealer said, turning over his next card. It was a five, and the knight held his breath. The dealer then turned over a King, and the knight felt slightly faint. It wasn't looking good.

_He's hit 16…this next card will make or break it._

The dealer turned the next card over, and the knight prepared for the worst. But as he looked, he realized what the card was.

It was another King. The Dealer had bust.

The knight let out his breath, relieved. Yuko smiled triumphantly.

"I was right after all. Now, how do you like that?"

"I think you're bad for my health," the Black Knight murmured.

Yuko chuckled. "Gambling is all about nerves of steel and a quick mind. You have to think fast and act faster."

"I was doing fine before you showed up," he snapped back, irritably.

"No need to be snarky," Yuko purred. "I just saved your hand. You could be a bit more grateful."

The knight in black sighed deeply. "I didn't ask for your help." He got up from the table after getting his earnings, and began heading towards the bar.

"Now, now, that's no way to be. After all, my help usually has such a large price tag attached to it. A bit of free help now and again is rare, so you should be grateful."

The knight seemed to think for a second. Instead of answering, he ordered a stiff drink, and had a seat at the bar with a deep sigh.

"So…what do you want now?"

Yuko chuckled, ordering a drink for herself as she sat down. "I was wondering when you'd ask that." She waited until the drink was in her hands, and she'd had a sip before continuing.

"You know Yurevich Klashnikov?"

"Know _of_ him," the knight answered. "Why?"

Yuko smirked a little. "Well, his _darling daughter_, Lydia, is making big problems not only for you, but for my dear little archer friend as well."

The knight looked grim.

"I need your help," Yuko went on. "I don't have the ability to protect people through brute force, which is more than likely how Yurevich will handle this problem."

"And you want me to be that strength, I assume?" The knight didn't look at Yuko. Instead, he took another sip of his drink.

Yuko nodded. "Basically."

The knight sighed. "I want my money back, plus interest. 110%."

Yuko sputtered. "I don't have that kind of money!"

The knight was silent. "I think you do. In fact, I know you do."

Yuko looked a bit upset. "Prove it." She pursed her lips.

The knight turned to Yuko, his blue eyes locking onto her violet ones with a look that was all business. "I went through a great deal of training, Miss Yuko. I learned many things, such as how to tell when my opponent is bluffing. As such, I have picked up a few things over the years just from watching human behaviour."

Yuko was silent, and she continued to stare at him. After a moment of intense quiet, the knight spoke again.

"You get louder the more you win."

Yuko's cheek twitched, and she chuckled darkly before she spoke. "That is ridiculous. Besides, even if it did, which it doesn't, it still doesn't prove anything."

The knight wasn't amused, and his face hadn't changed. "Then again, I could always call the Pit Boss, and tell him you switched the dice on them—"

"I get it," Yuko broke in before anyone acted on what the knight was saying. "I'll give you your money. Just give me your word."

"No one will lay a hand on her," the knight vowed.

Yuko handed the knight a pouch of money with a deep sigh, and the two left the casino. Yuko shot the knight a dirty look.

"You could really give knights a bad reputation with that kind of attitude. But then again, you never care about what others think of you."

The knight shrugged. "Who said I didn't? Besides, you'd have more friends if you did."

—

Steph stretched her body as far as she could, easing into the sweeping twist that the next move of the dance required. She took it slowly, so as not to injure herself. Somine looked at her as she did so, instructing her as best she could.

"Do you think Trent found her yet?" Steph asked, worried.

"Don't worry so much," Somine told her. "That thing is capable of finding someone by itself. You just concentrate on the dance moves."

Steph nodded, but still felt uneasy. A bit of something gnawed at the back of her mind, made her feel uneasy.

"Lift that leg up a bit higher…that's it." Somine gently helped Steph get her leg a slight bit higher, then stepped back again. "You're doing remarkable, Steph. Truly remarkable. You have a real gift for this."

Steph blushed a bit at the compliment. "If you knew what my archery skills were like, you wouldn't be saying that."

Somine chuckled. "They couldn't have been that bad."

Steph laughed nervously. "I ended up hitting people more than monsters. I'm shocked I was able to hit anything at all." She laughed, more sincerely this time, a soft look coming over her face. "That was how I met him, you know…"

Somine smiled softly back. "Sometimes, an accident can be a happy ending." She paused, and then added, "I'm sure everything is going to work out for the best."

Steph grinned back, feeling a new determination well up in her. She had something to fight for, after all.

—

The next day came all too quickly. Steph hadn't slept, and she was feeling fatigue, but the fear of possibly losing this competition was far greater than her need to sleep. She sat on the chair in one of the dressing rooms of the studio, gnawing her lip anxiously.

"Stop worrying," Somine told Steph. "You're much better than she is, with all her money and fancy schooling. You have heart, and that is something she will never have."

Steph sighed. "But still…"

Somine slapped Steph upside the head. "No more of that."

"Ow!" Steph whined, rubbing her head.

"In any case," Somine continued. "You should be worrying about this competition. The set-up is simple enough: first, a head-to-head section, where the two challengers follow a set of moves as closely as they can. Then, a solo section, where each challenger performs a dance of their choosing."

Steph chewed her lip again. "But…I don't know the first routine!"

Somine smiled coyly. "Neither does Lydia. Only Bijou knows it."

Steph frowned. "That makes me more nervous…"

Somine sighed. "The point is, no matter what, you'll waste her on the solo section. I guarantee it."

Steph nodded, but her insides felt like a frozen wasteland. She was beginning to think this all might be hopeless.

Somine did Steph's hair as nicely as she could, given its wild, untamed nature, and then helped the girl into a simple dancing costume. It was green and black, and the simple skirt-like bottoms clung to her elegantly.

Somine smiled. "It'll do for the first part of this competition. The real work will be in the second part, but that outfit," Somine gave a wink. "Is a surprise."

Somine led Steph out of the dressing room, and over to the entrance onto the stage. She peeked out, and saw a large crowd of people in the seats. Swallowing nervously, she cast her gaze around, and spotted Yuko by one of the walls, Trent sitting at her feet.

Well, at least they're here, Steph thought to herself.

Bijou motioned to Steph, and she nervously walked out onto the stage and took her place. Lydia walked out from the other side, grinning a barely contained evil grin.

Lydia was draped in a beautiful outfit of teal silks, with lots of gold coin accents, and much gold head jewellery and bracelets. She looked like some kind of goddess, but her cold, evil smile made her seem fake.

"We're going to see once and for all who is truly the better woman here," Lydia hissed to Steph. "And I guarantee that it's me."

Steph scowled. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Lydia."

"_You'd_ have to count them, wouldn't you?" the girl replied sharply, and set up for the dance. Steph did the same, trying her best to focus.

Steph noted out of the corner of her eye that Somine had walked over to Yuko, and had taken her place beside the alchemist. The two whispered to each other, and Steph had to tear her gaze away to focus back on Bijou, who was about to start.

"Thank you, everyone, for attending this very special event. This is a formal competition between a high ranking student, and a newcomer. I strongly encourage fair play in this, and I hope everyone enjoys themselves. After all, the real winners are the people who get to enjoy the lovely dances."

The audience applauded politely, and Bijou gave the signal she was about to begin. She started with a few simple moves, which the two girls had to copy. Steph did her best, but knew that as it got harder, she was going to make mistakes.

Sure enough, it got harder to follow, and Steph made a few minor mistakes. Glancing over at Lydia, Steph was shocked to see that the girl was perfectly calm, and didn't miss a beat, not even when the steps became complicated.

_I knew it_, Steph thought bitterly. _She forced Bijou to show her the routine_. _I can't compete with such a cheater!_

Steph was able to keep up a bit more in the next bit, but she stumbled a bit, and almost fell. As she righted herself, she caught a glint of black metal out of the corner of her eye.

_C-could it be?_ Her breath caught in her throat.

She suddenly felt her determination well back up inside her, and was able to do much better for the rest of the first part.

Somine chuckled as she watched Yuko polishing her black battle-axe. "That was a clever trick you just pulled there."

"I don't know what you're implying," Yuko responded calmly.

—

As Steph was walking down the stairs that led backstage, Lydia came up behind her and shoved her. Steph screamed as she tumbled down the short flight of wooden stairs, and landed at the bottom. One of her glass hair barrettes slipped off her pigtail, and landed beside her with a tinkling clatter.

"Oops, clumsy me," Lydia crooned evilly. "Here, let me help you…"

She walked over to Steph, and as she leaned over to help the girl to her feet, Lydia brought her foot down on Steph's barrette. It shattered to pieces under Lydia's sandal.

"Ooopsie!" Lydia squeaked, barely able to contain her evil glee.

Steph stared at the pile of glass fragments that had once been her barrette, and felt the tears sting her eyes. She gathered them up in her hands, trying to hold back her sobs.

"So sorry," Lydia crooned. "But it was an accident."

Steph whirled around, her face twisted with her anger and rage. "You evil bitch," she whispered. "You have no idea what you have just done. You destroyed one of the barrettes my mother made for me. These are the most precious items to me in the world. And you…" The tears came, despite her effort to hold them back.

Lydia shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that? Besides, like I told you, it was an accident!"

Steph had had enough. She balled her fists in rage, swung back, and pasted Lydia with a mean right hook. The blond dancer went flying back into the wall.

"Steph!" Somine yelled as she raced over to the furious girl. She had just come backstage to assist Steph with her next costume, and has seen the end of the scuffle. She now held the girl back with all her strength.

"Let me go! Let me go, Somine! I swear I'll rip her head right off!" Steph was screaming with rage, struggling with all her might to get free.

"Enough!" Somine barked. "Enough damage has been done."

Lydia got to her feet, shaking. She was bleeding from a split lip, and her eyes blazed.

"You'll regret this!" She hissed angrily. She ran past Steph to her dressing room.

Somine sighed heavily as she let Steph go. The girl was sobbing now, and Somine rubbed her back, trying to comfort her as best she could.

"My mother's present to me…ruined…" Steph clutched the fragments of the barrette, and cried bitter tears.

Somine led Steph to her dressing room, and sat her down on the chair again. She then took a seat next to her, and put a hand comfortingly on Steph's.

"When I was very little, I went playing in Payon Cave," Steph explained to Somine. "While I was playing, I found several large, glass beads. The foxes in there love to play with them, so they're everywhere in the deeper parts. The foxes are my friends, you see, so they were eager to help me find them. We spent all day looking for them. That evening, when I came home with my apron full of glass beads, my mother smiled, and said she'd be able to make things out of them. She patted me on the head, I remember. A few days later, she called me over to her, and did my hair in pigtails, and put these barrettes in. She'd made them herself, just for me." Steph smiled, and stroked the barrette that was still whole. "They are my treasures…all I have left of mother, now that she's passed on."

"I'm sorry," Somine said sombrely. "I didn't realize…" She took a deep breath. "But, you know, by hitting Lydia like that, you're just playing into her game. She can use this against you." Somine smiled wryly. "Not like I didn't enjoy seeing that snarky little brat get a split lip, mind you."

Steph smiled as well.

"Time to get you ready," Somine said. "Lydia goes on first, so that gives us lots of time."

Steph nodded. "All right."

—

"OW!" Lydia screeched as one of her followers applied some alcohol to her split lip. "That hurts!"

"Hold still!" the girl insisted. "That's a nasty cut."

"Can't you cover it up somehow?" Lydia growled.

"We'll try," another girl said. She obviously was the one who did Lydia's make-up, as she was holding a container of powder, and a lipstick tube.

Lydia let the last girl remove her costume, and help her into another, more exotic one. After that, the girl who medicated Lydia's lip began working on her hair, the make-up girl got to work on her face, and the third girl began getting her into her shoes.

"I'll teach that little brat!" Lydia steamed angrily. "I'll teach her but good!"

—

Lydia quickly whispered a few words to the bard in the band at the front of the stage. He nodded, and whispered to the other members of the band. They struck up the song Lydia had requested, and she began her dance. Smiling to the crowd, and to her father in the front row, she began a fast, rousing dance.

Steph peeked out from the side of the stage, pulling her cloak tighter around her. Watching Lydia's dance, Steph felt troubled. It was lovely, to be sure, but she felt no warmth from it, as if the dance was cold, meaningless.

"She dances with no heart," Steph whispered to herself. "As if she has no desire to warm the hearts of those she dances for." Steph felt sadness at this revelation, and then an understanding. Somine had pushed her so hard because she knew Steph was different. Steph would dance, not for herself, but for others.

As Lydia's dance ended, and applause filled the air, Steph turned to finish getting ready. Lydia bowed deeply, drinking in the applause, and smiling darkly to herself. In her own mind, it was over. No country girl could ever match her skill.

Lydia made her way off the stage, and Somine approached the bard. She whispered something to him, and he seemed shocked. He shook his head, and Somine said a few more things. The bard handed Somine the lute he was holding, and she took a seat next to him. He looked at her curiously as she tested the lute tentatively before strumming out a few notes softly.

Steph took her place on the stage, kneeling down, her cloak tight against her body. Her heart was throbbing loudly in her ears, but she could still hear the crowd murmuring in confusion.

Glancing off to the side, she saw Lydia smirk evilly. Steph ignored her, and glanced out at Yuko and Trent. Yuko gave her a thumbs up, and Trent winked. She smiled softly, reassured.

Somine gave Steph a sign she was ready. Steph nodded, and Somine began to softly play the opening to the song. The soft, intricate melody grew in volume, and as the band caught on, Steph mentally gave herself the signal.

She rose to her feet, and let the cloak slide off gracefully, and held it as her shawl for a moment. A soft gasp went up as everyone finally saw her costume.

She was dressed in an elegant, exotic outfit, made of fine silks, adorned with gold coins and gold thread. The delicate embroidery on the shawl about her head and shoulders glimmered as the light caught the gold threads woven throughout it, and the soft fabric of the pants whispered with every movement she made. The ornate gold headpiece, and many gold bracelets and anklets were reminiscent of the ones the dancers of the Morroc Desert wore.

As Yuko listened, she realized the music was familiar. "The Dance of All Saints," she whispered. "The ritual dance that the Djinn perform at the funeral of one of their own. Such a solemn song, but so full of feeling…perhaps that is why Somine chose it."

The movements of the dance were slow and broad, and Steph spared no effort to make them as dramatic as possible. She had never felt so graceful before in her entire life, and she put all her heart and soul into her performance. As her hands made a gentle arc above her head, she turned her gaze to the heavens, as if she was asking the souls of the departed, "Am I doing all right?"

Lydia bit her thumbnail in exasperated rage. Steph's dance was one she hadn't expected. Everything, from the routine, to the costume, to the music, were complete variables from out of left field she hadn't been able to see. Even before the dance was done, she knew that she'd been outclassed.

Turning to the girls who had been attending her, Lydia shook with silent rage. "Do something, you peons!" she hissed at them violently.

The girls, however, were sobbing hysterically, trying desperately to be quiet. "W-we c-can't…" they sobbed out in a whisper. "I-it's too beautiful…"

Steph had become so focused on her dance, she hadn't realized she had slipped into song. The words fell from her lips without thought, words she remembered hearing as Somine had watched her practice. She didn't understand them, or know the language, but they were hauntingly beautiful, and had stuck in her mind. Now she sang them as she danced, without the knowledge she was doing so.

As she eased into an Asura stance, and then sank down into the final low sweep of the dance, she felt her breath catch in her throat suddenly, and then it was over. The music fell silent, and she held her position, perfectly still.

Yuko choked on her tears, and glanced down at Trent. The drop has tears flowing like rivers down his face, but had not uttered a sound. Looking up, Yuko spotted Yurevich wiping at his tears in the front row, and smiled to herself.

"And not a single interruption…I'd say this was a complete success."

Steph lifted her head, slowly, and Yuko spotted her tears as well. The young girl wasn't aware of them herself, but as they slid down her cheeks, she blinked in surprise, finally noticing them, and wiped at them carefully with her fingertips.

It happened suddenly. From dead silence to a deafening roar in less than a few seconds. Every person in the audience had risen to their feet, even Yurevich, and was applauding Steph's performance.

Lydia stifled a scream, and stormed off backstage, punching a dent into one of the walls as she went. The dancer refused to be beaten.

"Where the hell are those assassins I hired?!" she barked angrily as she stomped off.

—

Outside, the dust settled as the fight ended. On the ground lay several assassins, wounded, but not fatally so. The black Knight straightened up, wiping his mouth with the back of his gauntlet, as he panted heavily.

"There…it's done. I kept my end of the bargain. Let's hope Yuko does the same."

Sheathing his broadsword, he turned to go. The back door to the studio opened just then, slamming hard into the wall, and he turned his head slightly to look.

Lydia stormed out of the building, seething. "Those good-for-nothing assassins! When I find them, they'll be sorry they ever messed with me! I'll—" She stopped short as she spotted the assassins lying on the ground, and the knight walking away from the scene.

"YOU!" Lydia gasped, terrified. "W-what are you doing here?"

The knight coldly lifted his visor so she could see his face. "Lydia…I should have guessed it would be you."

"I-I-I don't know what you mean," she back-pedalled, trying to worm out of the situation. "What did I do, my sweet?"

The knight frowned. "Don't call me that. And don't try to pretend you didn't hire these assassins to take out your competition." He gestured with his hand. "Let's see, blackmail, attempted assassination, cheating…That's quite a record you've made for yourself, Miss Klashnikov. More than enough to have you thrown in jail…or at least make you pay a hefty fine."

"You wouldn't!" Lydia shrieked. "You couldn't! MY DADDY WOULD—"

"I would do _what_, Lydia?"

Both the knight and Lydia turned to see Yuko and Somine standing with Yurevich. The three had come around the building after the performance had ended, and Yurevich looked cross. He gave his daughter a look that would kill.

"LYDIA MARIE KLASNIKOV!" Yurevich blasted. "Don't tell me you tried to _assassinate_ your rival in this little competition?"

Lydia shook with fear, and went pale. "N-no, Daddy! It's a misunderstanding!"

"Oh?" Yuko said. "That's funny, because I _distinctly_ overheard you telling these fine gentlemen that they'd be paid 50,000 zeny each if they succeeded in bringing you the poor girl's head. 'On a platter', I believe were your exact words."

Lydia looked downright sick at that moment. Yurevich was clearly not impressed.

"Lydia, I have told you time and time again, money and power are not the answer! I have stressed the importance of accomplishing tasks by your own means, not through dirty tricks and underhanded means!"

"But papa!" Lydia wailed. "What about all those men you had given new pairs of cement shoes, and a nice, cosy bed at the bottom of the lake when they refused to pay you?! Was that fairness and justified?"

"_Niet_," Yurevich snapped. "That is besides the point. Those things happened a long time ago. I have learned from such things. And it seems you must learn as well."

Everyone looks slightly put off at the exchange between father and daughter, and backed up slightly.

"What are you saying, Papa?" Lydia asked, trying to play her sweet little girl card. "I've learned my lesion, promise! It'll never happen again! I swear!"

"Not this time, Lydia," Yurevich replied icily. "You have had your chances in the past, and you have taken me for granted. No more. Tomorrow, you are going to Madam Devona's Finishing School for Proper Young Ladies."

Lydia went a sickly shade of greenish-white, and fell to her knees. "NOT MADAM DEVONA'S!!! ANYTHING BUT THERE!!!"

Yurevich was stoic. "You have left me no choice, Lydia. This will hurt me far more than it will hurt you, believe me."

"No it won't! How could you, Papa!? I thought you LOVED ME!!!" Lydia was hysterical at this point, and Yurevich motioned for several attendants to take Lydia away.

"Gee, that actually sounds like it'd be a nice school," Yuko said.

Somine made a face. "Obviously, you've never been there, then."

"The school came highly recommended by a good friend of mine in Geffen," Yurevich stated. "He said it did wonders on his daughter."

"And all's well that ends well," Trent piped up, looking rather pleased.

The knight spotted the Drop, and went ridged. "Wait…you mean…HER?!"

The Drop looked over, and went equally ridged. "WHAT THE HELL IS **HE** DOING HERE?!"

"I hired him," Yuko replied calmly.

"HIRED **HIM**?!" Trent blasted. "ARE YOU **MAD**?!"

"Not at all," Yuko replied. "In fact, I'm quite sane. It's everyone else who is mad."

Somine grinned. "Long time, no see, boy-o."

The knight grimaced. "Somine."

"Well then, as promised, what I owe you." Yuko handed a pouch to the knight, with a pained expression.

The knight looked at it for a moment, then handed it back. "I've decided that I don't want it."

"Say what?" Somine asked.

"I don't need it," he repeated. "There's really no need." He began to walk by, and then stopped, and turned before adding, "And there isn't any reason for me to have to explain myself to you anyway."

As the knight walked away, Somine chuckled. "He hasn't changed a bit."

Yuko cuddled her money. "I don't care what he does, as long as I get to keep my money."

—

Steph sat against the wall in the dressing room, utterly exhausted. She was too tired to move, even when the door opened, and several people entered, including Bijou.

"Congratulations," Bijou said happily. "You won the contest, which means you get to be a dancer!" She handed Steph her licence, and uniform.

Steph stared at the black and red uniform, tears forming in her eyes. "I…can't believe it…I…won…"

"We're proud of you," Somine told her.

"And the best part is," Yuko added. "Lydia got shipped off to Madam Devona's Finishing School For Proper Young Ladies."

Somine laughed. "She'll be gone for a while, trust me."

Bijou smiled. "Thank goodness. That brat was too much for me. Now, at least, I can get back to doing my job with pride."

"Darn right," Somine told her.

Trent plopped into Steph's lap, cuddling against her stomach. "I'm proud of you, kid. I really am. You're gonna be one heck of a dancer." He blushed a little. "You know, your dance was…incredible. I mean, really. Just…wow. It really reminded me of so much…" He sighed, and shook his head. "I mean, Khalid…" He paused. "I bet Khalid is at peace now." When there was no answer, he looked up.

"Steph?"

Steph was fast asleep, snoring gently under her breath. Trent smiled at her.

"Sweet dreams, kid. You earned them."

—

NEXT CHAPTER:

To obtain a title is one thing. To master it is another. The subtle art of focus often eludes us, and a temper is a hard thing to reign in. And when one is confronted with a truth one doesn't like, what does that mean for that person? Next time, _A Heart That Bleeds_. Shall I dance for you?


End file.
